Photographed in H�rault, France

On October 23, 2015 at around 1:50 PM, a couple observes in the sky the passage of a particular phenomenon that intrigues them: three round balls from which burst streams of threads several dozen meters long. From the balls emerge thousands of small creatures that spin around and appear to be lit by LEDs. The witness takes photographs. Only one testimony will be collected. The white threads photographed by the witness have all the characteristics of spider threads called "gossamer" or "angel hair." These threads are the vehicles of tiny young spiders that let themselves be carried by the wind. This phenomenon is called ballooning. The month of October is entirely favorable for this observation. It also requires clear, dry weather and a light breeze, which is the case that day: see the weather report. These extremely fine threads are only visible if they are charged with humidity and/or against the light. It is normal that they become invisible when one approaches them, because the observer changes angle relative to the sun or because they dry quickly. The photographs provided correspond well to this phenomenon. The multiple balls observed by the witness may be aggregations of spiders (see photo). In conclusion, GEIPAN classifies this case "B": probable observation of young migratory spiders and their silk threads, commonly called "gossamer."