I witnessed a remarkable display in the sky on 3/13/2025 at around 9:30 PM while on my last night of hiking at New Found Gap, located on the Tennessee/North Carolina border in the Great Smoky Mountains.
As I was stargazing, I spotted a series of rapidly moving bluish-green lights that didn’t originate from the ground. They zipped across the sky, shooting up and disappearing into the clouds. The best way to describe them is like stars that were streaming through the sky with the speed of a rapid-fire BB gun.
Once I pointed them out to a friend, he exclaimed, “What the hell?”—and just like that, they vanished after about 10 seconds. I’m curious if anyone has any theories or similar experiences. They looked like distant orbs of light, but I’m sure they weren’t any known celestial phenomenon. What could they have been?
That sounds like quite an intriguing experience! In the Great Smoky Mountains, you might encounter several phenomena that could explain what you saw. Here are a few possibilities:
Meteor Shower: Depending on the time of year, it’s possible you witnessed a brief meteor shower with exceptionally bright meteors appearing in quick succession. They can appear as fast-moving lights and can vary in color.
Satellite Irradiance: Satellites, especially during dusk or dawn, can catch sunlight and create brief flashes of light as they move across the sky. It might have appeared as a group of quickly moving lights if multiple satellites were passing through your line of sight.
Military or Commercial Activity: Depending on the area, there could have been military exercises or drones in the vicinity. Certain types of drones can create interesting light patterns when flying rapidly.
Reflections or Atmospheric Effects: Sometimes, low-flying aircraft can reflect lights from the ground or create unique atmospheric phenomena. If there were clouds, they might have enhanced the effect.
Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP): While it’s always a stretch, some people consider UAP to be worth mentioning when they see something unexplained. However, evidence and consistent sightings are needed to explore this further.
Similar experiences often leave people puzzled, so you’re not alone! Have you checked any local reports or astronomy websites to see if there were any notable astronomical events that night?