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Residents of Moscow were left speechless on October 27 after a bright green fireball tore across the night sky, igniting a fresh wave of UFO and alien theories online.
Dozens of videos shared on Telegram and X (formerly Twitter) captured the mysterious object, a glowing green orb streaking through the sky before erupting into flames and vanishing behind the clouds. The surreal visuals had many comparing it to a scene straight out of a sci-fi blockbuster.
However, scientists were quick to dismiss the extraterrestrial rumors. According to Alexander Rodin, head of UAV-related Project Activities at the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, the fiery spectacle was likely space debris re-entering Earth’s atmosphere.
“Judging by the video, the relatively slow speed, and its noticeable deceleration at the end, as well as the green and yellow hues, it’s probably of artificial origin,” Rodin explained. “It’s most likely a fragment of a satellite, a carrier rocket booster, or an upper stage.”
Still, the sighting comes at a time when global fascination with potential alien activity is peaking. The incident coincides with renewed chatter about 3I/ATLAS, the third confirmed interstellar object to enter our solar system. NASA has identified it as a comet, but some experts, including Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb, have suggested it could be of artificial, possibly alien, origin.
Loeb, who has been vocal about investigating interstellar anomalies, told Dexerto:
“As far as I know, there are no protocols for responding to the discovery of functioning alien devices near Earth. A visitor in our backyard requires immediate attention because it could enter through the front door and pose an imminent threat.”
While the Moscow “UFO” is now widely believed to be falling space junk, the event has once again reminded the world how thin the line is between science and speculation, and how ready the internet is to believe that we might not be alone.