An account in Alpes-Maritimes, France

On August 17, 2012, at around one in the morning, a couple is driving home in their car, when the female passenger notices in the clear sky the presence of several orange glowing orbs that are not blinking. These lights are at low altitude. Only one testimony is collected. The observation of orange orbs in the sky, on a weekend night, clearly suggests Thai lanterns, probably released nearby at the end of a private party. The fact that they disappeared after a few minutes is also typical of lanterns (burn time of their burners). The witness is surprised by the observation (which also happens with lanterns), however he reports the presence of other observers of these phenomena, and these others did not provide testimonies, neither to GEIPAN, nor to the gendarmerie. Consequently, GEIPAN classifies the case as B: probable Thai lanterns.