Lunar reflection seen from an airplane in 2015

Summary

On January 4, 2015, a passenger on a commercial flight reported a luminous phenomenon that appeared to move at the same speed as the plane. Other passengers also observed it, adding credibility to the account. The plane was near Paris's outskirts, and the phenomenon was located between 50 and 70 degrees from the plane's vertical. Although the full moon was in the witness's field of view, it wasn't mentioned, likely because attention was focused on the ground. The GEIPAN, a French organization that studies unexplained aerial phenomena, considered the phenomenon to be most likely a specular reflection of the moon on lakes or flooded areas. The described "filaments" could correspond to flooded roads or canals. Meteorological data indicated rain in northern France, supporting the hypothesis of wet areas reflecting light.

The variation in the phenomenon's position was explained by the plane's course changes. If the plane flew south, the phenomenon was to the left; if it flew southeast, it appeared in the front-left. Although the GEIPAN lacked precise flight data to confirm the plane's route, the case was classified as "B"—very likely a lunar reflection on flooded areas. These kinds of cases, while unusual, are common in the database of unexplained phenomena and often have a natural explanation once carefully analyzed.