Detailed Summary
In the late afternoon of September 4, 1898, residents of Lille, France, reported witnessing a large, metallic, cigar-shaped object moving across the sky. The object was described as silent and capable of rapid motion, contradicting the aeronautical capabilities of the time. Although there were no advanced recording devices, the sighting was well-documented by local witnesses, and reports of it made their way into contemporary newspapers. Despite the lack of physical evidence, the incident remains one of the earliest well-known UFO sightings in Europe.