Solar reflection on an airborne object filmed from Aix-en-Provence

Summary

On August 30, 2007, a witness in Aix-en-Provence filmed a bright point in the sky that dimmed and revealed a dark moving spot. After repositioning and zooming in, he made out four black squares around the bright core. The observation lasted under 25 seconds.

GEIPAN concluded that the phenomenon was most likely a solar reflection off a conventional airborne object such as an airplane or helicopter, whose glare made identification difficult. The squares and spots in the footage were artifacts of the camera sensor and video compression. Although strong winds were blowing, the object's movement did not match the wind direction, ruling out wind drift. The wind itself may have masked engine noise. The case was classified as C due to the lack of additional evidence.