I'm willing to bet we all know someone who has expressed bewilderment at some strange lights they saw in the sky once. I'm also willing to bet that 100% of those have perfectly reasonable explanations that don't involve aliens visiting from another planet. If you're one of those people who can't help but marvel at the lights in the sky, here are ten things you are most likely to be seeing.
Photo Credit: Pixabay
If you see... A small twinkling white light that remains stationary and is accompanied by several other small twinkling lights all across the sky...
You're probably seeing a... Star.
If you see... A brighter white light that remains stationary among the twinkling stars but does not twinkle...
You're probably seeing a... Planet.
If you see... One or several small orange balls of light moving slowly across the sky...
You're probably seeing... Chinese lanterns.
If you see... Something moving steadily across the sky with a red flashing light and a beam of light scanning the ground, accompanied by the noise of an aircraft...
You're probably seeing a... Helicopter.
If you see... Something moving steadily across the sky with a red flashing light (or two) but hear no noise...
You're probably seeing a... Distant aeroplane.
If you see... A flashing white light the size of a star moving very slowly across the sky that may appear and then disappear...
You're probably seeing a... Satellite moving into the shadow of the Earth.
If you see... A small ball of light moving very quickly in a straight line, leaving a streak of light that dissipates quickly...
You're probably seeing a... Shooting star.
If you see... A dull bubble of light hanging in the sky over your town...
You're probably seeing... Artificial lights from buildings or streets shining up and illuminating clouds or dust particles.
If you see... A moving bubble of light that may occasionally disappear and reappear...
You're probably seeing a... Searchlight.
If you see... A cluster of red streaks that only show up in brief bursts and are accompanied by thunderstorms...
You're probably seeing a... Red sprite (and you're very lucky!)