Mysterious glowing object sparks UFO theories in New York

Pictures of a mysterious glowing object in the sky near the Finger Lakes in New York sparked unidentified flying object (UFO) theories earlier this month.

On August 13, a Facebook user shared a picture of a “moving” orb that appeared to be glowing in the sky at roughly 10:30 p.m. on August 12. 

“In the Northern sky, opposite the moon… Not a meteor, planets or Starlink and Yes it was moving but silent,” the Facebook user wrote. “Finger Lakes Region of NY State (Cayuga and Seneca Lakes location)”

Two other pictures of the mysterious orb were shared on X, formerly Twitter, by The New York Post.

The pictures of the mysterious object led to widespread speculation regarding UFOs and other theories on social media. One Facebook user wrote, “Soooo what UFO did i see tonight?? did anyone else see this outside around 9:30pm? It was INSANE.” A second social media user commented, “Who seen this?!?! UFO in Saxonburg?”

Another Facebook user wrote, “Definitely the mother ship sending out some drones.” Other Facebook users suggested that the mysterious object was China or Russia “spying” on the United States.

Despite widespread speculation on social media suggesting that the object pictured from August 12 was a potential UFO, Space.com reported that the mysterious object was the Vulcan Centaur rocket, which was launched at Cape Canaveral, Florida, by the United Launch Alliance.

In a press release prior to the launch, the United Launch Alliance wrote, “United Launch Alliance (ULA) will use the high-energy capabilities of the Space Force certified Vulcan rocket to carry two U.S. national security satellite missions directly into geosynchronous orbit.”

Commenting on the explanation of the mysterious object, retired U.S. Navy Rear Admiral Tim Gallaudet told Fox News, “My first instinct from my scientific and military training is to look for a conventional explanation, such as a meteorological or human-made aerospace explanation, because that’s what many objects in the sky are. “In this case, it was both.”

Gallaudet added, “The primary protocols are to cross-check the visual sighting with other data: higher-resolution optical or infrared, radar, lidar, listen for a radio or acoustic signature, and if it looks to be under intelligent control, interrogate it via VHF radio. That will allow for a better characterization of the object, e.g. size, speed, altitude, range, material composition, and intentions.”