Moon Misidentification in Gisors

Summary

A citizen of Courcelles was awakened by a fixed reddish light in the cloudy sky around 4 a.m. on July 21, 2013. The witness described a round, red object four times larger than the Moon, located at 25 degrees altitude. However, astronomical data show that the Moon was precisely at azimuth 231°, at only 4.6° altitude. The confusion likely stemmed from the common optical illusion where the Moon appears larger at rising or setting. Additionally, the Moon was partially obscured by clouds, making it hard to identify. The GEIPAN classified the case as "B", since it is likely the Moon, but the discrepancy in observed altitude justifies not assigning it the "A" category.