Venus observation at Le Croisic in January 1980

Summary

Between January 10 and 16, 1980, several people, including gendarmes, observed a bright circular object in the sky above Le Croisic. It shone intensely and moved slowly from east to west, gradually fading before disappearing. Photographs were taken. Authorities concluded it was Venus, particularly visible at the time, with a recorded magnitude of −3.83 on January 12 at 7:04 PM, setting below the horizon around 8:30 PM.