If you were out for a late-night cuppa or letting the dog out for a midnight stroll this week, you might have looked up and spotted something truly out of this world—literally! Across Queensland and northern NSW, dozens of Aussies were left scratching their heads (and maybe checking their tinfoil hats) after witnessing three glowing, pulsating orbs drifting across the night sky. Social media lit up with videos and wild theories, with some convinced they’d just had a close encounter of the third kind.

‘Maybe three UFOs or a big star ship,’ one Gold Coast local speculated, while another said, ‘The one my brother witnessed…woke him up because it was so bright!’ Theories ranged from asteroids to alien visitors, with one person declaring, ‘It’s a UFO. It has to be!’

But before you start phoning Mulder and Scully, let’s get to the bottom of this cosmic conundrum. The real explanation, as it turns out, is a little less 'Area 51' and a bit more 'rocket science.'

Glowing orbs were spotted over QLD and northern NSW, igniting UFO chatter online. Credit: YouTube

The Science Behind the Spectacle

Dr Brad Tucker, an astrophysicist and cosmologist from the Australian National University, was quick to clear up the confusion. Speaking to The Morning Show, Dr Tucker explained that the mysterious orbs were actually the result of a rocket launch—specifically, the exhaust plume created when parts of a rocket separate during flight.

And no, it wasn’t the ill-fated Australian-made rocket that made headlines for crashing just 14 seconds after takeoff. This celestial show was courtesy of a Chinese Long March 8A rocket, which blasted off from Hainan commercial spaceport at 5:49pm AEST. The rocket was carrying a batch of low-orbit internet satellites and, according to Chinese media, the launch was a complete success.

What Exactly Did We See?

As the rocket soared southeast over the ocean, just off the Queensland coast, it went through several stages. When these stages separate, small thrusters and gas jets fire, creating a dramatic plume of exhaust. This exhaust, high in the atmosphere and illuminated by the setting sun, can appear as glowing, expanding orbs—sometimes even taking on bizarre shapes.

‘Sometimes we call these 'space jellyfish', believe it or not, because of the weird shape and tentacles,’ Dr Tucker said. So, if you thought you saw a floating jellyfish in the sky, you weren’t entirely wrong!

Why Did the Orbs Seem to Hover?

Many observers were baffled by how the orbs seemed to float in place. Dr Tucker explained that this is simply the lingering exhaust hanging high in the atmosphere. ‘It’s kind of like peeling out in a car—the dust plume just hangs in the air behind it. The same thing happens with a rocket,’ he said.

Although the lights looked close, they were actually hundreds of kilometres offshore and dozens of kilometres up in the atmosphere. The gas plume remains where the rocket stages separate, slowly fading away as it disperses into the upper atmosphere.

A Growing Trend: More Rockets, More 'UFOs'

With the global space race heating up, rocket launches are becoming more frequent—and so are these spectacular sky shows. Australia’s own space industry is taking off, and international launches from China, the US, and other countries often pass over our skies. So, if you spot something strange up there, it might just be another rocket making its way to orbit.

What Should You Do If You See Something Unusual?

First, don’t panic! Most mysterious lights in the sky have a perfectly logical explanation. If you’re curious, check online for recent rocket launches or astronomical events. There are plenty of websites and apps that track launches in real time, so you can play detective from the comfort of your armchair.

And of course, if you do spot something truly unexplainable, we’d love to hear about it! Share your stories, photos, or videos in the comments below—who knows, maybe you’ll be the next Aussie to solve a cosmic mystery.

Credit: YouTube​

Key Takeaways

• Mysterious glowing orbs seen over Queensland and northern NSW sparked speculation about UFOs, with many locals sharing videos and wild theories on social media.
• An astrophysicist from ANU explained the phenomenon was actually a rocket plume, not aliens, caused by a Chinese Long March 8A rocket launch earlier that evening.
• The unusual 'space jellyfish' shapes occur when stages of the rocket separate and release exhaust, which can linger high in the atmosphere and appear to float.
• Although the orbs looked close, experts say they were likely hundreds of kilometres offshore and dozens of kilometres up, and the strange lights faded as the exhaust dispersed into the atmosphere.

Did you see the glowing orbs over Queensland or NSW? Have you ever witnessed something in the sky you couldn’t explain? Do you think we’re alone in the universe, or is there a more down-to-earth explanation for most UFO sightings? Let us know your thoughts and experiences in the comments below—let’s get the conversation started!

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[Leenie]

Approximately sixteen years ago we witnessed a large teardrop shape in the southern sky about 8-30 pm clear sky bottom was spinning and sparks shooting out all around the object , my grandies were so scared they raced inside. I had waited years to see something like this , as I am a sky watcher. Never dawned on me to get the camera ,kicked myself since.. Another time a moon shaped object was out the front my home for a few minutes , then suddenly disappeared. This was about five years ago at 7-30pm.

 

[Veggiepatch]

In the late 1970s while camping at Bendalong on the NSW South Coast, we witnessed a Holden Statesman fully ablaze with a body hanging out of the driver's door. Sometime later we saw a bright light travelling north to south in a cloudless starry sky.

Did I tell you that we were under the influence of LSD at the time?