Whitish oval shape over Niort attributed to a nightclub searchlight

Summary

In August 1997, a driver and passengers spotted a whitish oval shape in the cloudy sky over Niort, surrounded by small oval figures rotating around it. The phenomenon lasted several hours and was seen from multiple locations, including the witness's home, where he unsuccessfully tried to photograph it with a disposable camera. Only one testimony was collected, and the exact date was not remembered.

GEIPAN concluded it was most likely a skytracer — a type of nightclub searchlight that projects rotating oval shapes onto clouds. The description matched how these devices worked, and the circumstances — a festive summer night, overcast sky and absence of noise — supported the hypothesis.