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Stunning bright light turned night to day over vast swathe of Russia

By 0 and 0 and 0
09 January 2018

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Experts insist the phenomenon was not manmade: there were no reports of missile tests or explosions. Picture: Social media

The extraordinary light show - seen here on videos - came on the night of Orthodox Christmas Day this week. 

The black sky suddenly turned momentarily deep blue as if on a bright day - but according to some accounts, the earth moved too.

Experts insist the phenomenon was not manmade: there were no reports of missile tests or explosions.

Nor were there reports of meteorites striking the earth.

Witnesses had the feeling something massive had happened - but what?

Bright flash


Before the flash

'We saw this while driving. There was a vibration and the sound of explosion in the sky. Awesome.' Picture: Social media

It was seen and felt by people especially in th three Russian republics - Bashkortostan, Udmurtia, and Tatarstan.

'It lit the night sky from side to side, making it look brighter than daylight,' said one account. 

Artyom Russkikh said: 'We saw this while driving. 

'There was a vibration and the sound of explosion in the sky. Awesome.

Firaya Zaripova commented: 'Probably it was the testing of some military weapon, if even the ground was shaking.'

Yet this was denied. 

'There was also the sound of an explosion and then a vibration, I felt it.' 

Ilnaz Shaykhraziev said: 'I saw the flash, while in Menzelinsk.

'There was also the sound of an explosion and then a vibration, I felt it.'

For Denis Rozenfeld, it was clear: 'A meteor burned out, not reaching the lower layers of the atmosphere. 

'Before this it exploded and split into many small pieces. That is why there was such a sound, which came to us in a few seconds. 

'It’s a funny coincidence that such a rare phenomenon for our region has happened right on Christmas.’

Spookily, similar phenomenon were reported last year in Kazan, several years ago in Karelia, and in 2006 in Moscow. 

Bright flash


Bright flash


Before the flash

'It’s a funny coincidence that such a rare phenomenon for our region has happened right on Christmas.’ Pictures: Ruslan Shaymardanov

Yuri Nefefyev, director of the Engelhardt Astronomical Observatory, sees the origin was atmospheric electricity, saying that this is still something not properly explained by science.

'There are a huge number of effects linked to atmospheric electricity, many of which are not properly studied because of how rarely they occur,’ he said. 

Yet scientists offered completely different versions of what happened. 

Some claimed the bright light flash was refracting from low clouds, others that it was a dry thunderstorm. Astronomers from Kazan Federal University insisted there was a space link.

Bright flash


Before the flash

Some claimed the bright light flash was refracting from low clouds, others that it was a dry thunderstorm. Pictures: Vesti.ru

'This was a bolide, when all substance burns in atmosphere and doesn't reach Earth,’ said Dr Sergey Golovkin, of the university’s Physics Institute.

'It is accompanied by a loud bang. 

'It could have been a fragment of a spacecraft that burnt, but normally it takes them more time to enter the atmosphere, thus they can be observed for longer. 

'This was a bolide that burnt in the dense layers of the atmosphere which is why it was seen over such a big territory. We didn't register the flash because there was strong blizzard on this night.'

Artyom Russkikh said: ‘We saw this while driving.

‘There was a vibration and the sound of explosion in the sky. Awesome.’

He wrote: 'What was it? A meteor, a rocket from space, UFO, North Korea?’

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Comments (12)

Something similar happened. We were driving home, looking through the front wind screen, at exactly 10 o'clock that nightt he sky went blue for about 5 seconds. There was no vibrations or any sound to it, the scene was like on mute. We all had a big fright, my husband wanted to drive after it but I was more scared than ever. It was a beautiful experience now to think of it. I'm very intrested to know the cause of it. Experience 22 June 2019
Taherah Essop, Port Elizabeth, South Africa
26/06/2019 15:46
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Approximately 2 months ago i was driving my car on the gold coast highway towards Brisbane passing through Yatla south to my instant surprise the night sky lit up clear as day light with a strange electric blue colour for approximately 5 seconds enough time for me to look around to see where the light source was coming from i looked upward to see it disappear and the sky return to night - it was the most incredible thing I've ever seen with my eyes
Masson Stuart , Brisbane Australia
11/09/2018 00:10
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I saw something very similar. I was always wondering where could I ask about this. I was a kid, and was walking with a friends/s (don't remember how many of us were there), when all of a sudden sky got lit. It was like, everything was white. You could see as much as you could see in noon. It was like it for one second at least. Then everything went back to normal. There wasn't storm ongoing. Sky was pretty clear. Never had clue what it could be.
Euqul, Croatia
18/05/2018 19:47
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Ive seen something very similar in Washington state on Hwy 97 southbound to Yakima from Ellensburg, as soon as i crested the first grade leaving Ellensburg i saw some flash of blueish light in my peripherals and was immediately confused because of the lack of stormy weather, then the second flash happened on the decant grade heading south before exit 11 and the flash occurred east above what would be the military complex, hanford, and wide open desert terrain. Personally believe these could be apart of Geoengineering efforts.
Nate, Yakima
12/02/2018 02:12
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I think it was a meteorite or satellite space rubbish that circulates around the earth and is dragged down to the ground and burns up.
Carina, Sweden
12/01/2018 18:38
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lucky every vehicle in Russia has a dash cam, nothing can happen without them knowing, nothing.
John Brown, bellingham, WA
11/01/2018 23:44
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I think it was the Almighty switching on & off his lights. Or else one of his bulbs blowing.


Again, Happy (Russian) New Year
Jaker, Dundalk
11/01/2018 09:17
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Thanks so much for sharing this amazing phenomena. Perhaps these rapid flashes of light are caused by our planet now entering the highly charged photon belt? Scientists have been predicting that earth changes will happen then
Sarah, Sydney, Australia
10/01/2018 19:56
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I have seen this kind of flash; on two different occasions here in Rochester. First time was about 4 yrs. ago at our former house. Second time was in the past year where we now live. We have many windows; I am always looking out the window. Everything lit up just like very bright daytime....at night. It was amazing. There was no sound. There was a "sense" of energy charge; not easy to explain. I did not write it down.
Marcia Walsh, Rochester, New York, USA
10/01/2018 15:17
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I saw a similar flash at 1:35AM 12/17/2017 but nobody believes me!
Virginia Harlow, Cedar Rapids, Iowa USA
10/01/2018 05:11
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Was it the deliberate demolition of the secret Zuma spy satellite launched by SpaceX for Northrop Grumman? It was reported yesterday to be dead in orbit.
oatka, Necada, USA
10/01/2018 03:42
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Russian's greatest Contribution to the world is their Dashcam videos!

Well, music, poetry, books, etc too. But the Dash Cam videos! Wow!

Very nice.
Don, Texas, USA
10/01/2018 01:52
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