Orange lights in triangle formation in Yonne

Summary

On the night of August 26, 2016, a man and his wife observed three orange lights arranged in a triangle in the clear night sky. The lights, described as the size of a golf ball, moved silently from northwest to southeast before disappearing behind trees. The sole witness reported a brief observation of five seconds, which limited the angular movement visible. Despite the short duration, the report suggests the lights were likely Thai lanterns, common in summer, which might have been misinterpreted by the witness. The north wind and estimated low altitude (50-100 meters) support this explanation.

The witness mentioned perceiving a filled surface between the three lights, a common visual effect when observing point sources of light at night, where the eye tends to "fill in" the gaps. Additionally, the witness did not clearly report that stars were obscured during the event, making that observation questionable. Finally, the GEIPAN classified the case as B, indicating a probable observation of Thai lanterns, a reasonable explanation given the date and conditions.