BALTIMORE, MD—A mysterious glowing object illuminated the night sky over the East Coast on Tuesday, sparking widespread speculation of UFOs and extraterrestrial activity, but officials confirmed the spectacle was the result of a classified rocket launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida.
Residents from Massachusetts to Maryland reported sightings of a bright, spiraling light around 10:30 p.m. EDT on August 12, with some describing it as a “boomerang-shaped” object or a “pill-shaped” glow with a misty tail. Social media platforms buzzed with photos and videos, as skywatchers captured the eerie phenomenon, which coincided with the peak of the Perseid meteor shower. Some thought it may have been a rocket launch from Wallops Island, VA, but that rocket launch occurred on Tuesday morning.
“It looked like something out of a sci-fi movie,” said Rebecca Heath, a New Jersey resident who spotted the object over Emmaus, Pennsylvania. “I thought it might be a UFO until I saw the news.”
The United Launch Alliance (ULA) confirmed the launch of a Vulcan Centaur rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station shortly before 9 p.m. EDT. The mission, designated USSF-106, carried the experimental Navigation Technology Satellite-3 (NTS-3) and a classified spacecraft into geosynchronous orbit, approximately 23,300 miles above Earth. The launch marked the first U.S. military experimental navigation satellite deployment in nearly five decades, designed to enhance GPS systems with anti-jamming and reprogramming capabilities, according to Space.com.
The unusual visual effect, often described as a “jellyfish-like” or “spiral” formation, was attributed to the “twilight phenomenon.” Experts explained that the rocket’s exhaust plume, illuminated by sunlight at high altitudes while the ground was in darkness, created a glowing trail visible for hundreds of miles. Excess fuel released during the ascent froze into ice crystals, reflecting sunlight and forming the spiral shapes that captivated onlookers.
“It’s not aliens,” said Cindy Fitzgibbon, chief meteorologist at WCVB in Boston. “The fuel dump from the Vulcan rocket freezes at high altitudes and reflects sunlight, creating this stunning effect.”
The launch’s visibility was amplified by clear skies across much of the East Coast, though the bright waning gibbous moon obscured fainter meteors from the Perseid shower. Sightings were reported as far north as Upstate New York and as far south as Delaware, with viewers in Philadelphia, New Jersey, and Virginia sharing images of the glowing orb surrounded by a faint mist.
Despite initial confusion, experts quickly dispelled extraterrestrial theories. “The rocket’s power and trajectory made it a spectacle visible across a wide region,” said Ally Reid, a reporter for B95.5 in the Capital Region. “It stole the show from the meteor shower.”
The ULA’s Vulcan rocket, a 202-foot-tall vehicle with nearly three million pounds of thrust, completed one of its longest missions to date, lasting over seven hours. The classified nature of the payload led to limited public disclosure prior to the launch, contributing to the mystery surrounding the event.
While some residents expressed disappointment that the object was not otherworldly, others marveled at the rare chance to witness a high-tech military launch. “It’s amazing to think we saw a piece of cutting-edge technology light up the sky,” said Dave Wheeler, a radio host in upstate New York.
The event underscored the public’s fascination with unexplained phenomena, with many initially reporting sightings to local news outlets and the National UFO Reporting Center. However, officials urged residents to verify unusual sightings with credible sources before jumping to extraterrestrial conclusions.
For now, the East Coast can rest easy knowing the mysterious light was a triumph of human engineering, not an alien invasion.
NOT A UFO last night
🚫 🛸
🚀 It was a Rocket Launch Elizabeth Wantz Chaney saw from Fenwick Island DE.⏫️ Liftoff occurred at 8:56 p.m. EDT.
📝 United Launch Alliance (ULA) Vulcan Centaur Rocket:
Launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
Carried the… pic.twitter.com/AwHba4zZgN— Justin Berk (@JustinWeather) August 13, 2025
