Venus mistaken for an orange light in Pujols, 1980

Summary

Over several consecutive days a witness in Pujols observed an orange light appearing in the east between 6:30 and 8:30 a.m. On 12 December 1980 the gendarmerie investigated on site. They confirmed that a light rose slowly in the sky and that prolonged observation produced an optical effect making it appear to move and change colour at dawn. A sky chart for those dates showed Venus gradually appearing in the east, rising and fading with daylight.