Observation of Venus mistaken for an unidentified object

Summary

On October 25, 2013, two people in the Hautes-Pyrénées observed a bright, fixed white point in the sky. Initially, they thought it might be an unusual phenomenon, but after analysis, the GEIPAN concluded it was Venus. That night, Venus was at its brightest (magnitude -5) and the sky was unusually clear, despite some clouds. These conditions made the planet especially visible. However, a passing cloud cover briefly hid the object, causing confusion. Although the witness estimated the object to be about 45 degrees above the horizon, images and calculations showed its actual position was much lower, around 8 degrees and 30 minutes. The case was classified as "A", indicating a clear and astronomical explanation.