Venus mistaken for a UFO in Istres

Summary

In late January 2009, several residents of Istres (Bouches-du-Rhône) noticed a striking luminous phenomenon at the start of each evening. One of them managed to record it on video: a bright ball with a bluish halo that appeared to trace circular movements. The main witness noted the phenomenon recurred on subsequent nights at the same time. The investigation determined it was the planet Venus, exceptionally bright during that period. The apparent circular motions were caused by atmospheric turbulence and camera zoom effects. The case was resolved without ambiguity.