What Was That Light in the Sky?
The everyday things most often reported as UFOs, how to recognise each one, and how to check what was really in your sky.
- Line of Lights Moving Across the Sky? It’s Probably a Starlink Train — Why a straight line of evenly spaced lights glides silently across the sky after dark, and how to tell if it was Starlink.
- Steady Light Gliding Across the Sky? Satellites and the ISS Explained — How to recognise a satellite or the International Space Station, why they vanish mid-sky, and how to check a pass.
- Very Bright “Star” That Doesn’t Move? It’s Probably Venus or Jupiter — Why the brightest planets are so often reported as UFOs, and how to check whether a planet was where you looked.
- Star Flashing Red, Green and Blue? Why Bright Stars Twinkle — Why bright stars near the horizon flash colours and seem to dance, and how to tell one from something stranger.
- Bright Light That Seems to Hover? How Aircraft Lights Fool People — How landing lights, strobes and navigation lights make ordinary aircraft look strange, and how to spot them.
- Light Hovering, Stopping and Darting? It Could Be a Drone — How drones look at night, why their movement seems impossible, and how to tell one from other lights.
- Orange Lights Drifting Across the Sky? They’re Probably Sky Lanterns — Why sky lanterns are reported as UFOs, how to recognise them, and when you are most likely to see them.
- Streak of Light With a Tail? Meteors and Fireballs Explained — What meteors and fireballs look like, why some glow green or break apart, and when they are most common.
- Silver Orb Hanging in the Daytime Sky? It Might Be a Balloon — How party, weather and research balloons are mistaken for UFOs, and how to tell.
More reference: UAP glossary · UFO timeline · Sightings by place · Tools and resources