Viels-Maisons 2015, Observation of orange lights in formation

Summary

On July 19, 2015, around midnight, two people observed with binoculars a line of orange lights in the sky. The objects shimmered and appeared to move in formation from west to east. A witness noted that an additional light quickly joined the others. Although only one testimony was collected, the elements gathered suggest these were likely lanterns. The orange color, moderate speed, short observation time, and the date (a Sunday evening) align with typical characteristics of lantern launches, often associated with celebrations. Additionally, the illusion of acceleration and disappearance could be explained by the lanterns extinguishing or entering a cloud layer. Lastly, the absence of noise also fits with the behavior of such objects.