UFO in Moselle solved as Moon

Summary

In February 1979, a witness in Moselle observed a luminous object from his car. The object, an orange hemisphere, moved horizontally from southwest to northeast and gradually disappeared. Initially classified as C due to lack of information, the case was revisited in 2015 by an astronomy enthusiast who proposed it could be a confusion with the setting Moon. To verify, he returned to the location and used astronomical calculations to compare positions. The Moon in 1979 and 2015 matched in altitude and direction, supporting the hypothesis.

The reconstruction showed that the Moon under those conditions could appear as an orange hemisphere, similar to the witness's description. Additionally, the local topography, with a slight slope, could have created an optical illusion when viewing the Moon near the horizon. Factors like the Moon's low altitude, presence of clouds, and car movement explain the brief observation. The GEIPAN concluded the case was a confusion with the setting Moon, classifying it as A.