Neuvy-le-Roi 1979, the Moon mistaken for a UFO

Summary

On December 7, 1979, at 9:15 PM, several motorists in Neuvy-le-Roi (Indre-et-Loire) reported a luminous phenomenon in the sky. Descriptions varied: a ball, a parachute, a capital L. The consistency among independent witnesses and mention of barking from a nearby farm initially lent the case some weight.

However, the investigation concluded that what was observed was the rising Moon. The confusion was attributed to factors such as fatigue and nighttime driving, which distorted the witnesses' perception. GEIPAN classified the case as A — an observation attributed to a known astronomical object.