The Moon mistaken for a UFO in the Atlantic Pyrenees

Summary

In April 1983, a married couple driving through the Pyrénées-Atlantiques spotted a bright orange object that seemed to follow their car. Its shape shifted between square and round, frightening them enough to seek shelter at a friend's house. The perceived pursuit was actually a well-known optical illusion—the "follower ball" effect—where a distant object appears to track a moving observer.

A modern reassessment using astronomical data confirmed the object was the Moon, nearly full and low on the horizon, reddened by atmospheric conditions and distorted by partial cloud cover. Originally unclassified, the case was reclassified as category A. It stands as a clear example of how atmospheric conditions and subjective perception can turn a familiar celestial body into something seemingly unexplainable.