An account in Dr�me, France

On September 2, 2016 at 5:20 a.m., a witness observed a very white and very bright ball motionless in the sky. The observation lasted 5 to 6 minutes in the direction of Saint-Martin-d'Août. The witness left to fetch another person, and the phenomenon seemed to go out spontaneously. Only one testimony was collected. The witness was surprised by Sirius, which happens frequently because it is a very bright white star; its observation is generally made near the horizon (when it is visible), which can give the impression of a luminous ball (optical effect and/or halo confirmed by the atmosphere). Here, the witness was looking in the direction of the star (Saint-Martin-d'Août is to the southeast, like Sirius) and was looking slightly above the horizontal (Sirius is at 5 degrees of elevation). During the time the witness left to fetch his friend, Sirius could indeed have disappeared (angular movement of 3 degrees in 10 minutes) behind a cloud (the witness describes a black night) or landscape elements at the horizon. Consequently, GEIPAN classifies the case as A: observation of Sirius.