Luminous balls in Blagnac

Summary

On June 14, 2016, a witness in Blagnac observed a series of orange glowing spheres moving silently across the sky from their garden before disappearing toward the southeast. Although only one testimony was collected, GEIPAN investigators concluded that the witness likely saw Thai lanterns. The shape, color, and trajectory of the lights were consistent with this explanation, especially since the wind direction that night (130°-140°) matched the movement observed. GEIPAN classified the case as B: probable Thai lanterns.

Thai lanterns are often released during celebrations and rise slowly, which can lead to misinterpretations as mysterious aerial phenomena. In this case, the absence of noise and visual configuration were key to ruling out other hypotheses. While not a UFO event, the case highlights how natural or cultural phenomena can be misunderstood.