Murat-sur-Vebre 1978, Observation of an orange light

Summary

On a July night in 1978, a motorcyclist and another witness observed a large orange light in the sky above Murat-sur-Vebre. The light remained visible for five minutes before slowly disappearing. The initial investigation found no other witnesses or physical traces, but both testimonies pointed precisely to the direction of the Moon. GEIPAN researchers concluded it was an optical illusion caused by a reddish moon behind clouds. The description of the object as a disk with domes could be explained by the shape of the clouds filtering the light. Despite the detailed accounts, the witnesses were never questioned about their credibility, but they misinterpreted what they saw due to the unfamiliar phenomenon.

The re-examination of the case, using modern tools and accumulated experience, confirmed there was no evidence of an unexplained phenomenon. The exact direction of the light, matching the Moon, and the sudden disappearance are consistent with changes in cloud cover. The witness mentioned a "distance escape," but upon reviewing his testimony, he admitted the main movement was forward. This reinforces the idea that perception of motion and shape can be misleading when dealing with celestial phenomena. The case was reclassified as "A" by GEIPAN, indicating it is clearly attributable to a reddish moon.