Jupiter mistaken for a UFO on Réunion Island

Summary

On 15 August 1997, two witnesses on Réunion Island described a luminous object that frightened and confused them. A street vendor saw it near the ground, while his brother observed it later that night. Descriptions included unusual shapes and shifting lights. After review, GEIPAN attributed the phenomenon to Jupiter. The perceived movement and shape changes were explained by well-known optical and psychological illusions such as the looming illusion and the autokinetic effect. Originally deemed unexplainable, the case was reclassified as A, illustrating how emotional context and perceptual biases can turn a planet into something seemingly extraordinary.