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This article was published in the daily newspaper L'Ardennais, France, on October 23, 1954.
More information on this observation is in the France 1954 section for October 16.
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THE DISC
PHOTOGRAPHED IN SEDAN
HAS BEEN SPOTTED IN ATTIGNY
We have received the following letter from one of our readers in Attigny:
I read your article supported by several photographs of the "FLYING SAUCER" of Sedan with much interest.
In the torpor of this gentle autumn evening, ATTIGNY was too indifferent to realize that strange tourists visited the Ardennes sky, scorning our tourist offices and even our cooking specialities which are however quite enticing.
As this gentelman in Sedan breather the air at his window, observed, and had time to take photographs, I took the air too in my garden, Saturday evening at 09:30 P.M. Maybe the time and the temperature were admirably suitable to that.
My presence could not have been more convenient, if I had taken rendez-vous at a contradictory meeting, in which I was decided to oppose my absolute scepticism.
And yet I very clearly saw it pass - my eyes staring at a constellation at the south - in front of the latter, at an exceptional pace, a luminous sphere, very bright, followed by a long trail which could have been the exhaust of a powerful jet, or more simply, the heating of cosmic dusts caused by speed.
All my attention was focused at the passage of this bolide which went with grace in an impressive silence. This fireworks lasted only 3 or 4 seconds, limited as I was by the portion of the sky ranging between two groups of buildings.
We can only congratulate you for your impartial effort [] your fitting reflexions. It is indeed too simple to ridicule events which one does not know but about it is discussed more and more. The most difficult task for a journalist is to make this discrimination between the illusionism, mystification and reality.
It may be lightheartdly, even with liveliness, joked at it, but it would perhaps also be useful to encourage sincere testimonys in order to correctly inform the readers about a course of facts which have nothing tenderizing enough to be compared with love stars; and which deserves a serious attention.
In its fugacity and silence, this phenomenon could be seen only by chance, exactly as one wins with the national lottery. (That did not happen to me yet). Here, the chances could be easily increased by setting up groups of qualified and perspicacious observers.
It was turnover time at the Sugar Refinery of Attigny, the night shift was on its way. Among those, I found witnesses who have been marvelling at this beautiful comet.
