Luminous half-sphere at Hombourg-Haut explained as the Moon

Summary

On 27 January 1982 a family in Hombourg-Haut noticed a silent, slowly moving luminous half-sphere in a cloudy sky. Two witnesses returned to the spot but the object was no longer visible. GEIPAN's investigation concluded it was the setting Moon, whose tilted shape and partial cloud cover caused the confusion. The Moon's position matched the witnesses' field of view, and the perceived movement relative to their vehicle was consistent with its apparent trajectory. The disappearance is explained by moonset or a change in cloud cover. The case was classified A.