Green light and conical trail over Carspach identified as a bolide

Summary

On the night of November 12, 2008, a driver in Carspach saw a green light tracing a descending curve followed by a conical trail. The phenomenon lasted only seconds, but the testimony was coherent and supported by two independent witnesses and a radio report. The initial observer himself suspected a meteorite. Indeed, the event coincided with the Northern Taurids, a meteor shower known for producing slow, bright fireballs. Two additional witnesses near Bordeaux—far from Carspach—reported the same phenomenon, indicating the object was at high altitude. This convergence of data reinforced the meteorite hypothesis, and GEIPAN classified the case as A: fully explained.