Red-orange fireball with tail over Chanaz

Summary

On August 22, 1980, a witness in Chanaz, Savoie, described a round red-orange luminous object with a tail, moving rapidly and silently in a straight line. No odor was detected. The estimated duration ranges between 10 seconds and 2 minutes.

The visual description and trajectory are consistent with atmospheric reentry of a meteorite or satellite. GEIPAN classified the case as B, considering the explanation probable but noting some inconsistency: such a large, bright object should have been seen by more people across the area. More precise angular measurements and a better-defined duration would have strengthened the hypothesis.