Star Antares mistaken for a UFO near the Moon in Saint-Égrève

Summary

At 2:20 a.m. on 17 March 2009, a witness and colleagues noticed a bright point near the Moon. They observed it several times through the night until it vanished at dawn. One witness described it as appearing to follow and orbit the Moon. Astronomical analysis of the night's configuration confirmed the point was the star Antares, whose apparent motion relative to the Moon is caused by the Earth's rotation — an entirely natural phenomenon.