The Montfort-sur-Meu Lunar Misidentification Case

On two separate nights in November 1987, five witnesses in Montfort-sur-Meu, Brittany, reported observing a bright red luminous phenomenon in the western sky. The first sighting occurred on November 25, 1987, at approximately 20:20 (witness T1), and the second on November 27 at 23:30 (witnesses T2, T3, T4, T5). Witnesses described the object as either spherical or banana-shaped, bright red in color, appearing stationary or moving very slowly westward. The observations lasted up to 15 minutes, with no sound reported. The French Gendarmerie conducted a thorough investigation, interviewing multiple witnesses and checking the area for ground traces—none were found. They confirmed that no weather balloons had been launched from the Rennes Saint-Jacques meteorological station during the relevant timeframe, and no helicopter flights occurred on those nights. Despite all witnesses emphatically stating "this was not the Moon," witness T2 specifically declared: "Je suis affirmative ce n'était pas la lune. Il n'y avait qu'un seul objet" (I am certain it was not the moon. There was only one object). GEIPAN initially classified this case as "D" (unexplained), but upon reexamination using modern astronomical software and enhanced investigative techniques, reclassified it to "A" (identified with certainty). The investigation revealed that the Moon was in first quarter phase during both observations, setting in the west at precisely the reported bearings: 222° for the first observation and 245° for the second, both near a reference pylon at approximately 235°. The Moon's apparent colors (red/yellow during setting), crescent/banana shape, slow westward movement toward the horizon, and large apparent diameter all matched witness descriptions perfectly. On November 25, partial cloud cover likely obscured the Moon's crescent shape, creating an oval appearance and explaining reported disappearances and reappearances. On November 27, despite clear skies, witnesses describing a crescent-shaped yellow-red object somehow failed to recognize it as the Moon.