Luminous object over Fréland reclassified as Venus, 1983

Summary

In April 1983, two witnesses saw a luminous object the apparent size of a tennis ball above a mountainous area near Fréland. Surrounded by a white halo, it descended in three stages while changing colour. Through binoculars, one witness described a sphere with bright veins. Thirty years later, GEIPAN re-examined the case and concluded it was Venus. The original confusion stemmed from miscommunication about Venus's astronomical position at the time. The credible witnesses had been misled by observing conditions. The case was reclassified as a conventional astronomical observation.