During World War I, two bright lights were spotted in the sky. In certain areas of France, the people believed the lights were from a hostile airplane and they sent out the alarm. However, no one was attacked and, eventually, the two lights disappeared, leaving many to believe that the lights were simply Venus and Jupiter.
Panic Created by Mistaking Venus and Jupiter for Hostile Aeroplanes
Venus will still be a very conspicuous object in the sky in the early part of one month, but by the end of the month it will be too close to the sun to be seen. The same is true of Saturn. Venus has frequently been thought to be some mysterious object in the sky, such as an “Edison Star.” It will be of interest to relate the errors of the French in regard to this brilliant planet. In February the two planets, Venus and Jupiter, were close to each other in the sky and formed a view so interesting that many will remember it. It was at this time that the French thought that the planets were the lights of a Zeppelin. We quote from the Astronomer Flammarion in L’Astronomie:
“The rumor was current here that this aerial apparition had been seen to arrive from Havre, brilliant from the southwest, without any one being able to distinguish its form or hear its motor. Many eyes followed this double lighted flyer down to the horizon, two lights fore and aft, until it disappeared at 8:15 in the western haze without having caused any damage or having thrown a single bomb.
“The most amusing part of the story is that at Rouen the alarm was complete. As soon as the ‘enemy fire’ had been noticed, a shot from the cannon was fired as a warning, the firemen patrolled the streets, shouting ‘on guard,’ and an hour later ‘back to your quarters.’ All danger had passed: Venus and Jupiter had set before the eyes of Rouen.
“Since the beginning of the war there has scarcely passed a month without our bulletin having discovered analogous confusion, and notably for four months thousands of ignorant people have taken Jupiter for a dirigible. The appearance of the double luminary on the southwest horizon, the time of its appearance and disappearance, the apparent path of this aerial ship with its headlight (Venus) and aft light (Jupiter), all contribute to show us that many people are living on our earth in utter ignorance of astronomy, without knowing where they are, and without surmising the marvels of the universe.”
Perhaps the mysterious airplane which passed over our own Du Post works was also of the same character.
Source: Burlington weekly free press. (Burlington, Vt.), 08 June 1916.
