Red light and dark shape over the Alps on December 24, 2015

Summary

On December 24, 2015, two people on a walk in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence observed for 8 minutes a bright red light moving silently in a slightly cloudy sky. The light ascended and turned more orange before disappearing into the clouds. Intrigued, the witnesses then saw a dark shape detach from the clouds and move silently in a straight line before descending. The shape was lost from view as it blended with the mountain's color. Although only one testimony was collected, the description of the light, color, and final trajectory aligns with the typical characteristics of a Thai lantern. The festive date and the object's behavior at the end of its path also support this hypothesis.

The witness mentioned there was no wind, but this does not rule out the possibility that a lantern was affected by air currents at higher altitudes. A light wind of 6 km/h could explain a noticeable movement in the sky. Additionally, the lack of noise from the object is not unusual for such devices, and the perception of its large size—twice that of a glider—stems from the difficulty of estimating distances and sizes when the object is unrecognizable. Despite the inability to correlate the trajectory with local weather data, the GEIPAN classified the case as "B," meaning a probable observation of a Thai lantern launched during a private celebration.