A bright spot in Gailiac on December 5, 2015

Summary

On December 5, 2015, a driver and his son observed a stationary yellow-orange phenomenon as bright as Venus for one minute. The object made no noise and disappeared after the witness looked away. Several explanations were considered, such as satellite or aircraft reflections, but none fit perfectly. The GEIPAN linked the event to an aircraft taking off with its lights on. Once the plane reached sufficient altitude, the pilot turned off the lights, which could explain the disappearance. The witnesses, moving in their vehicle, did not notice the much dimmer navigation lights against the still-lit sky.