Photographed in Meuse, France

On September 16, 2012 at 4:40 p.m., a walker observes a white ball with the appearance of a cloud heading toward him, while remaining high in the sky. During its approach, the object, estimated at one centimeter, grows to about three times its volume. The witness takes a photograph. GEIPAN received his testimony in May 2013. GEIPAN analyzed the hypothesis of an object carried by the wind. Unfortunately, there is no weather station near Gondrecourt. The weather readings at Saint-Dizier (52) at 45 km, and at Nancy Essey (at 55 km) show respectively an extremely variable wind, both in direction (NE, SW, S, SE) and in speed (4 to 25 km/h). It is therefore impossible to state that this object was carried by the wind, although this is highly probable. The change in the object's brightness from the zenith, where it appears white in the photo, to the horizon, where it appears gray, points rather toward the hypothesis of a fairly low object, rather than toward the hypothesis of a cloud. Furthermore, the witness clearly sees the object grow during the observation, which favors the hypothesis of an object at very low altitude. If the object were at 100 m altitude, a wind of 12 km/h would have made it cross half the sky (90°) in one minute, covering 200 m. The described shape may be compatible with a ball of fluff, perhaps carried from a nest, or a swarm of insects. These are only hypotheses that cannot be confirmed. For lack of local wind readings, and with no possibility of estimating the object's altitude, GEIPAN classifies this case "C": lack of precise information to give a consolidated opinion.