Erratic red light in the night sky over Saint-Pierre

Summary

On the night of December 16, 2008, two witnesses in Saint-Pierre, La Réunion, observed a bright red light moving rapidly and erratically in silence, occasionally disappearing behind clouds. No other testimonies were recorded that night, but the date coincided with the season when Thai sky lanterns—locally known as wish lanterns or Chinese montgolfières—are popular on the island during festivities. It is possible the witnesses mistook one of these lanterns for an unidentified object.