Sky lanterns in single file over Gouvieux

Summary

In September 2008, a witness in Gouvieux observed about a dozen orange luminous balls moving in single file, silently and at low altitude, between Gouvieux and Précy-sur-Oise. They appeared to glow from within. Although GEIPAN received only one direct testimony, the gendarmerie logged two other calls about lights in the sky that same night. The coincidence with a festive date and the west-to-east wind, consistent with the observed trajectory, reinforced the sky-lantern hypothesis.

The witness's description — shapes, colours and movement — fully matched the use of such lights. Other reports from the same night pointed in the same direction. GEIPAN classified the case as a sky-lantern observation, considering it the most coherent explanation given the available data.