Large luminous ball with sparks seen in southeastern France in 1999

Summary

Shortly after 7 AM on February 1, 1999, about a dozen witnesses across two departments in southeastern France observed a large luminous ball trailing sparks and moving at great speed. The phenomenon was silent and lasted only seconds. The descriptions provided by the various witnesses were consistent with one another. Investigators concluded it was likely a celestial body entering Earth's atmosphere, a type of event that, while spectacular, is not uncommon.