Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, France · 1983-05-09 · from the GEIPAN archive
In its publications, there are old cases classified at the time as type "C" cases which are now being re-examined, with the sole aim of being more relevant in the conclusions. Thanks to new technical means (software) and the investigation experience acquired over all these recent years, this re-examination sometimes leads to new remarks or even a change of classification explained in an investigation note. This observation case is one of the cases classified "C" in 1983 by GEPAN. On the night of May 9, 1983, between 10:30 PM and 11:30 PM, several witnesses observe with the naked eye and with binoculars a luminous phenomenon in the sky. This luminosity comes from a ball that moves slowly and disappears several times into the landscape. Seen through binoculars, the shape becomes triangular and different lights appear. Seven witnesses will be questioned by the gendarmerie. In the legend of the map provided by the gendarmerie, the investigators indicated for the red arrow "direction taken by the phenomenon" when it is only the direction of observation. The witnesses indicate a movement either toward the NW or toward Saint-Jacques, that is, toward their right while looking at the object. A contact with the Saint-Michel observatory confirms the passage of a comet that night. However, according to the astronomers, the witnesses' descriptions do not match the description of the comet. This case is consistent (seven witnesses), the description of the observed UAP is fairly precise. The sincerity and credibility of the witness have never been doubted. The described phenomenon presents many common characteristics (long observation duration, shape, size, color) with a perfectly known astronomical object: Venus. Moreover, Venus was exactly at the angular height (17.5°) and azimuth (290°) described by the witnesses. It is not the visual perception of the witnesses that is in question, but the interpretation that the witnesses make of their observation through their feelings (fatigue, surprise, presence of a relief). In the current GEIPAN classification, this case of low strangeness is classified as UAP A, an observation linked to a misidentification with Venus.
What stood out: a triangle shape
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both described a triangle shape · 67 km away
The gendarmerie reports an observation made on February 1, 1981 at 2:40 a.m. by a night watchman. The latter, during his shift, sees above the sea three large pinkish and dull balls forming …
both described a triangle shape · 67 km away
The gendarmerie was alerted to a sighting reported in the local press. On August 7, 1977, at around 1:30 in the morning, several people observed a luminous point at the top of a hill, then t…
both described a triangle shape · 67 km away
On March 5, 1994, four witnesses went to the Col de Vence pass to try to spot unidentified aerospace phenomena. They did indeed observe three bright points forming a triangle that seemed to …
both described a triangle shape · 83 km away
Thanks to new technical means (software) and the investigation experience acquired over all these recent years, this re-examination sometimes leads to new remarks or even a change of classif…
the accounts read alike, found by meaning rather than by shared details
This observation case, classified "C" by GEPAN, is now part of a re-examination (see the document Investigation Notes). On February 5, 1977, between 9:00 PM and 9:30 PM, two people in Reims …
the accounts read alike, found by meaning rather than by shared details
On December 18, 1977, at around 1:20 a.m., about ten people in a hamlet in the municipality of Sainte-Cérotte (72) observed a red-orange phenomenon in the sky. The witnesses could not estima…
the accounts read alike, found by meaning rather than by shared details
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This is an official case file of GEIPAN, the French space agency's unidentified aerospace phenomena office, machine translated from French. The original text and the full investigation file are at geipan.fr. We reproduce it with thanks and remove anything on request.
Anomaly