Venus observed as an unusual phenomenon

Summary

On the early morning of August 22, 2017, a witness in Doubs (France) observed a fixed luminous point in the eastern sky. The individual recorded for half an hour using a tablet and camcorder, making this one of the few cases with audiovisual material. Although initially it appeared to be an unusual phenomenon, later analysis revealed that the object was nothing more than Venus. This planet, the third brightest in the sky, often appears as a very bright star.

The testimony was enriched by an outdoor recording that allowed the exact position of the phenomenon to be determined. Comparing with the Stellarium software confirmed that Venus was at azimuth 84° at 6:08 a.m. The witness's confusion is due to the fact that when focusing on Venus with zoom, optical and electronic artifacts distort its shape. Additionally, device movements and the aperture can create visual illusions. The GEIPAN classified the case as "A", meaning a confirmed observation of Venus, highlighting how perception can be misleading when using electronic devices.