Atmospheric re-entry observed across France on January 17, 2009

Summary

On January 17, 2009, at 17:49 UTC, multiple witnesses across France observed an atmospheric re-entry that drew considerable attention and was reported both to GEIPAN and on several websites. Testimonies agreed on the time and direction of the phenomenon, pointing to a real, non-isolated event. GEIPAN's file includes detailed testimonies and a description of the luminous trail observed. The case was classified as A: fully identified event.