Searchlight reflections mistaken for a UFO in Normandy

Summary

On August 20, 2000, a motorist driving between Honfleur and Blonville-sur-Mer spotted a large luminous circle in the sky featuring what he described as bright "windows." The phenomenon moved and disappeared after a few kilometers. Shortly afterward, a red dot appeared on the hood of his car; looking up, the witness confirmed a second similar phenomenon.

Originally classified as D, GEIPAN later revisited the case with updated tools and concluded the luminous circle was most likely caused by skytrackers — commercial searchlights commonly used by nightclubs that project visible patterns onto clouds or humid air. The red dot could be explained by a handheld laser operated nearby. Weather conditions and the visual description support this conclusion, and the case was reclassified as A.