An account in Pas-de-Calais, France

This observation case is one of the cases classified as "C" in 2008 by GEIPAN. It was subject to a new review (see the document: investigation notes). On March 17, 1978, at around 1:30 a.m., a witness observed a round luminous object moving slowly in a south to northwest direction. No particular noise was heard during the 10-minute observation with the naked eye and then with binoculars. The object descended slowly toward the horizon. The gendarmerie investigation did not provide any new elements concerning this phenomenon. This case is consistent, and the description of the observed UAP is fairly precise. The sincerity and credibility of the witness have never been called into question. The described phenomenon shares many common characteristics (observation duration, shape, size, luminosity) with a perfectly known astronomical phenomenon: the Moon at moonset. Moreover, the Moon was indeed present in the area of sky observed, although the witness does not mention it. It is not the witness's visual perception that is at issue, but the interpretation the witness makes of his observation through his subjective state (fatigue, astonishment). In GEIPAN's current classification, this case of low strangeness is classified as UAP A: observation linked to a misidentification of the Moon at moonset observed with partial cloud cover.