Ball of light in Marne 2017

Summary

On February 24, 2017, a driver and his son were traveling along a quiet rural road in Marne, France. While driving, they spotted a whitish ball moving parallel to their path and in the same direction. The ball positioned itself in front of their car and gradually lost intensity before suddenly disappearing, leaving no trace. The phenomenon lasted about one and a half minutes and produced no sound. The witnesses described the event with precision, leading the GEIPAN to classify it as a ball lightning case, specifically of the "globular lightning" type. This kind of phenomenon, though often associated with storms, does not necessarily require an active storm at the location. The Lightning Research Laboratory confirmed that the description perfectly matched this atmospheric phenomenon.