B.C. Residents Baffled as Strange Shape Floats Through Night Sky
A rare night sky event over British Columbia sparked curiosity but had an earthly explanation linked to SpaceX.
The Shape Appeared Late at Night
It Was Seen Across a Wide Area
Some Thought It Looked Like a UFO
Experts Pointed to SpaceX
The “Jellyfish Effect” Explains the Shape
It Was Not a Natural Cloud or Meteor
The Shape Slowly Dissipated
Rocket Sightings Are Becoming More Common
The Mystery Was Real, Even if the Explanation Was Earthly
The Night Sky Is Changing
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A strange white shape drifting across the night sky left residents across British Columbia confused, fascinated, and wondering whether they had witnessed something unexplained. Between about 10:15 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. local time, people in different parts of the province reported seeing a large glowing form moving slowly across the horizon before fading from view. The object looked unusual enough to spark quick speculation online, with some wondering if it was a UFO, a weather balloon, or something more mysterious.
But experts say the most likely explanation is not alien activity. Astronomers linked the sighting to a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California earlier that evening. As the rocket climbed into the upper atmosphere, its exhaust expanded and caught sunlight, creating a bright “jellyfish effect” visible far away in the dark sky over B.C.