Rotating circular object seen by police officers in Vaucresson, 1981

Summary

On 1 January 1981 two police officers in Vaucresson saw a flickering yellow-and-orange light at an altitude of 100 to 150 metres. Tracking its path, they made out a circular object spinning on its axis. It moved slowly, steadily and silently, as if beginning a descent, emitting intermittent lights and leaving a short trail. The observation lasted about one minute before the object vanished below the horizon.

The witnesses, public officials with a clear view of the sky, detected no sounds or abnormal reactions in the surroundings. Their description is consistent, with no indication of perceptual error. GEIPAN classified the case as D: a phenomenon with no identifiable cause.