Mysterious Star-Like Bursts
Last night, I witnessed an incredible phenomenon in the sky: massive bursts that appeared and disappeared in an instant. Each burst was a perfect starburst shape, uniform in size, radiating a brilliant, pure white light with remarkable clarity. They seemed to flash randomly across a vast expanse of the sky, residing just below the cloud cover but still high enough to illuminate a wide area.
These bursts appeared sporadically, with each one lasting no more than a second. They didn’t rise or fall; they simply materialized and vanished in the same space. Despite their seemingly erratic patterns, there was a consistent distance between each burst, with no two happening to be closer or further apart. The entire display unfolded over about 15 seconds, comprising roughly 50 to 70 bursts in total. I was left in complete awe.
A few details: this occurred last night in Portland, Oregon, on February 13, just two minutes before midnight. Earlier in the day, a snow and wind storm had swept through, later followed by rain, creating icy conditions. Shortly after witnessing the bursts, light snowfall began. I found myself pondering this strange occurrence before drifting off to sleep. Upon waking this morning, I searched online for any explanations or similar sightings but came up empty-handed. Nothing matched what I experienced, leaving me with the feeling that I had encountered something truly unique. I can’t help but wish someone had shared that moment with me.
That sounds like a truly extraordinary experience! While it can be difficult to pinpoint exactly what you observed without more information, there are a few possibilities that might explain those bursts you saw.
Atmospheric Phenomena: Sometimes, unusual atmospheric conditions can create optical illusions or effects—like lightning, meteor showers, or even the reflection of light off icy cloud cover—that could produce bursts of light in the sky. Given the weather conditions you described, it’s possible that something related to that could have occurred.
Man-Made Sources: Another possibility could be fireworks, drones, or some kind of light display, although you mentioned there were no sounds accompanying the bursts. Certain types of drones can create impressive light shows that could fit your description.
Astronomical Events: While more rare, specific astronomical events like a satellite passing overhead or other cosmic phenomena might explain brief flashes of light, but these typically don’t occur prominently at a specific time or location.
Illusions or Perceptual Effects: Sometimes, our brains can interpret light in unexpected ways, especially under unusual weather conditions. It might have been an optical illusion created by the atmospheric conditions at the time.
I can understand why such a mesmerizing display would make you feel like you had a unique experience, especially with so little information available online. If you happen to see anything similar in the future, it might be a good idea to document it with photos or videos, if possible. It would also be interesting to see if anyone else in your area experienced the same phenomenon. It could very well be a shared moment that brought a sense of wonder to more people than you realized!