An account in Haute-Garonne, France

On August 4, 2015 at around 11:00 PM to 11:15 PM, several people on a terrace observe in the sky two large round glowing red-orange lights moving in a straight line across the sky at the same speed and without noise. The objects pass over the roof of the dwelling and are lost from sight. A third object then appears whose light intensity seems to decrease. The witnesses go around the house but the object has disappeared. Only one testimony is collected. The witness's descriptions (colors, shapes, group flight) clearly suggest a flight of Thai lanterns. The movement described has a strong N to S component (constant and high elevation of 60° and azimuth varying from NW to SW), which is compatible with the mainly N to S wind direction recorded nearby at Blagnac (see the weather). The different appearance (at the end of its observation) of the third object can be explained by the extinguishing (including slow as described) of the lantern, thus making it gradually change from a round glowing shape to a round gray shape. The latter is still distinguishable when the environment is not too dark, which is often the case in the city (a lantern flies at 50 or 200 meters in height not far from urban lighting). The fall of the lantern (which can be rapid once the minimum heat threshold for its lift is reached) could have occurred just after the observation when it became hidden by the house. Consequently, GEIPAN classifies the case as B: probable observation of Thai lanterns.