Huge glowing ball over northern Siberia sparks UFO fears

Russia has been hit by a wave of reports of a giant UFO in the sky last night with spectacular pictures of an enormous glowing ball illuminating northern Siberia.

Social media erupted with claims of ‘aliens arriving’ and locals in far flung parts of the country told of ‘shivers down their spines’.

While the source of the light remains unclear, some have suggested that it was the the trace of a rocket launched by the Russian military that caused this extraordinary phenomenon in the night sky.

 

Russia has been hit by a wave of reports of a giant UFO in the sky last night with spectacular pictures of an enormous glowing ball illuminating northern Siberia

WHAT IS IT?

While the source of the light remains unknown, local experts suggest there were two possible reasons for the eerie spectacle in the Siberian night sky.

The first was that a vivid display of the Northern Lights – or Aurora Borealis – was underway.

This is why photographers were out watching the sky when the suspected UFO appeared.

But the second is that Russian strongman Vladimir Putin had chosen this moment to frighten the West with grandiose military exercises by his strategic nuclear forces.

Missile tests were underway from submarines and aircraft last night, and the exercises included the launch of a super-powerful Topol rocket from Plesetsk cosmodrome, 550 miles north of Moscow. 

Vasily Zubkov posted: ‘I went out to smoke a cigarette and thought it was the end of the world.’ 

The extraordinary scenes were captured by leading Siberian photographer Sergey Anisimov in the town of Salekhard which straddles the Arctic Circle.

‘I was taken aback for a few minutes, not understanding what was happening,’ he said.

‘The glowing ball rose from behind the trees and moved in my direction.

‘My first thought was about the most powerful searchlight, but the speed of changing everything around changed the idea of what was happening.

‘The ball began to turn into an arc and gradually dissipated.’

After the multi-coloured light show was over he went home to find local children as young as five in the yard babbling about ‘aliens’ and ‘the portal to another dimension’, he said.

Some 520 miles further east, another photographer Alexey Yakovlev admitted to feeling scared as he witnessed the UFO spectacle at Strezhevoi, in the north of Tomsk region, reported The Siberian Times. 

‘At first I thought – it is such a radiance of such an unusual form, round in shape.

The extraordinary scenes were captured by leading Siberian photographer Sergey Anisimov in the town of Salekhard which straddles the Arctic Circle

The extraordinary scenes were captured by leading Siberian photographer Sergey Anisimov in the town of Salekhard which straddles the Arctic Circle

‘But gradually the ball began to expand, it became clear that this is not some radiance and it became scary.

‘It’s good that I was not alone….a group of people cannot hallucinate.’

On social media, Anastasia Boldyreva posted simply: ‘Aliens arrived.’

Social media erupted with claims of 'aliens arriving' and locals in far flung parts of the country told of 'shivers down their spines'

Social media erupted with claims of ‘aliens arriving’ and locals in far flung parts of the country told of ‘shivers down their spines’

Pictured is the spectacular sight over northern Siberia

The light appeared as a swirly ball

While the source of the light remains unknown, local experts suggest there were two possible reasons for the eerie spectacle in the Siberian night sky

The were many similar messages.

Nurgazy Taabaldiev claimed: ‘It’s a gap in the space-time continuum.’

While the source of the light remains unknown, local experts suggest there were two possible reasons for the eerie spectacle in the Siberian night sky.

Photographer Alexey Yakovlev admitted to feeling scared as he witnessed the UFO spectacle at Strezhevoi, in the north of Tomsk region. He said: 'At first I thought - it is such a radiance of such an unusual form, round in shape. But gradually the ball began to expand, it became clear that this is not some radiance and it became scary'

Photographer Alexey Yakovlev admitted to feeling scared as he witnessed the UFO spectacle at Strezhevoi, in the north of Tomsk region. He said: ‘At first I thought – it is such a radiance of such an unusual form, round in shape. But gradually the ball began to expand, it became clear that this is not some radiance and it became scary’

After the multi-coloured light show was over, photographer Sergey Anisimov went home to find local children as young as five in the yard babbling about 'aliens' and 'the portal to another dimension', he said

After the multi-coloured light show was over, photographer Sergey Anisimov went home to find local children as young as five in the yard babbling about ‘aliens’ and ‘the portal to another dimension’, he said

NORTHERN LIGHTS

The impressive Northern Lights can sometimes be seen by people in high-altitude regions, including Sweden, Iceland and Scotland. 

There are two types of auroras – Aurora Borealis (the Northern Lights), which means ‘dawn of the north’, and Aurora Australis, ‘dawn of the south.’

The lights are created when charged particles from the sun enter Earth’s atmosphere.

Usually the particles are deflected by the Earth’s magnetic field, but some enter the atmosphere and collide with gas particles.

These collisions emit light in many colours, although pale green and pink are common.

The first was that a vivid display of the Northern Lights – or Aurora Borealis – was underway.

This is why photographers were out watching the sky when the suspected UFO appeared.

But the second is that Russian strongman Vladimir Putin had chosen this moment to frighten the West with grandiose military exercises by his strategic nuclear forces.

The first explanation for the sight was that a vivid display of the Northern Lights - or Aurora Borealis - was underway. This is why photographers were out watching the sky when the suspected UFO appeared

The first explanation for the sight was that a vivid display of the Northern Lights – or Aurora Borealis – was underway. This is why photographers were out watching the sky when the suspected UFO appeared

The bizarre light may have just been an effect of the Northern Lights

Others have suggested the light is an effect of military testing

When the light appeared, missile tests were underway from submarines and aircraft last night, and the exercises included the launch of a super-powerful Topol rocket from Plesetsk cosmodrome, 550 miles north of Moscow

Missile tests were underway from submarines and aircraft last night, and the exercises included the launch of a super-powerful Topol rocket from Plesetsk cosmodrome, 550 miles north of Moscow.

From a mobile launcher, it was successfully aimed at the Kura testing range in Kamchatka on the country’s Pacific coast.

It was the the trace of this rocket - capable of carrying nuclear missiles - that caused this extraordinary phenomenon in the night sky, say the Russian media

It was the the trace of this rocket – capable of carrying nuclear missiles – that caused this extraordinary phenomenon in the night sky, say the Russian media

Photographer Alexey Yakovlev accurately guessed: 'It seems I accidentally shot the launch of a secret space rocket from Plesetsk'

Photographer Alexey Yakovlev accurately guessed: ‘It seems I accidentally shot the launch of a secret space rocket from Plesetsk’

It was the the trace of this rocket – capable of carrying nuclear missiles – that caused this extraordinary phenomenon in the night sky, say the Russian media.

As photographer Mr Yakovlev accurately guessed: ‘It seems I accidentally shot the launch of a secret space rocket from Plesetsk’.

The launch has since been confirmed by the defence ministry in Moscow. 

 

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