--- title: "Experts Puzzled by Bright Flash Over Ukraine" description: "An incredibly bright flash of light lit up the skies over Kyiv, Ukraine, late Wednesday evening — and experts are still hunting for an exact explanation." date: "2023-04-20" modified: "2023-04-20" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/experts-puzzled-bright-flash-ukraine" categories: - "Science & Energy" tags: - "meteor" - "the digest" - "ukraine" --- # Experts Puzzled by Bright Flash Over Ukraine ![An incredibly bright flash of light lit up the skies over Kyiv, Ukraine, late Wednesday evening — and experts are still hunting for an exact explanation.]() *\Image: Olexander Scherba via Twitter\* ## Flash of Light An incredibly bright flash of light lit up the skies over Kyiv, Ukraine, late Wednesday evening — and experts are still hunting for an exact explanation. A [video]() shared by Ukraine's ambassador to Austria Olexander Scherba on Twitter shows the bizarre event. "Something happened in Kyiv sky tonight," he wrote. "The whole city is at a loss, what it was. UFO?" https://twitter.com/olex_scherba/status/1648780853386924033?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1648780853386924033%7Ctwgr%5Edc42f9f2739d6633262405c589cb7ffa8c147ac5%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.businessinsider.com%2Fmystery-flash-over-kyiv-unexplained-nasa-denies-satellite-meteor-ukraine-2023-4 ## Not a Satellite At first, officials suspected it may have been NASA's RHESSI satellite, the [*BBC* reports](), which was [scheduled to hurtle back down to the surface]() after spending 21 years in orbit. NASA quickly confirmed to the broadcaster that it couldn't have been that spacecraft, as it was still in orbit at the time. Besides, it wasn't anywhere near Ukraine during the unusual event. The Ukrainian air force also ruled out a Russian air attack, despite repeated air offensives that have plagued the city since Russia began its invasion last year. Oddly enough, other Ukrainian cities were being targeted with exploding drones at the same time, the [*New York Times* reports](), with the country's air force saying it had shot down around ten of them in southeastern Ukraine. ## Meteoric So what was it? According to the *BBC*, the flash was likely the result of a meteor entering the Earth's atmosphere at blistering speeds, a wild coincidence given the circumstances and location. The flash was even seen over Belarus, leading Ukraine's space agency to believe it was most likely a falling cosmic body. Ukraine was ready with its air defense forces on full alert. The air raid alert was on for a good hour in Kyiv following the flash, according to the *NYT*. In other words, Kyiv was ready, whether it was an incoming missile or decades-old remains of a satellite. **More on comets:** *[If You Go Outside, You May Be Able to See an Awesome Green Comet]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()