An account in Rhône, France

On May 30, 2015 at around 11:55 PM, a couple outdoors is intrigued by the straight, slow passage of a bright orange object in the cloudy sky. No particular noise is heard. The object disappears into the clouds. Only one testimony is collected. GEIPAN analyzed several hypotheses for this observation: - Flare (reflection) on an Iridium satellite, visible at that precise moment (cf. Calsky data), but it was visible toward the southwest, and was moving in a northwest direction; moreover, the brightness should have been perceived as variable: this hypothesis fits poorly. - Flare on another unlisted satellite: very unlikely. - Bolide (meteorite entering the atmosphere): the brightness, duration, and trajectory could fit, but the witness would probably have perceived variable brightness. No other observation was reported, nor any camera recording (but cloudy sky!). - Sky lantern: the color, time, and day of the observation are consistent with this hypothesis, but the sustained north wind is a priori incompatible with the observed movement toward the east (see Météociel). GEIPAN ultimately retains none of these hypotheses, for lack of verification or cross-checking. Additional information could possibly allow determining the origin of the observed phenomenon.