Cussey-sur-l'Ognon, bright point likely confused with Venus

Summary

On 17 February 1980 at 20:45, a witness noticed a round, fixed, yellowish point in the sky, brighter and larger than the surrounding stars. The observation lasted over ten minutes with no apparent movement. Local police found no corroborating witnesses, though the regional press reported similar sightings in the area. Star charts showed Venus was shining at magnitude –4.01 at the time. Its calculated elevation was 8°, whereas the witness estimated 20°—a gap attributable to the usual margin of error in naked-eye altitude estimates. The astronomical hypothesis was further supported by numerous analogous cases recorded during the same period, all consistent with observations of Venus.