A massive, glowing bubble of light erupted in the night sky above northeastern Siberia sometime last night (Oct. 26/27), The Siberian Times has reported.
Multiple witnesses reported seeing the bubble, according to the publication, and at least five people captured images of the phenomenon.
While many people quoted by the news site expressed concerns that the phenomenon might have something to do with aliens or "a gap in the space-time continuum," The Siberian Times suspected it was caused by a rocket launch. Now, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation (which operates the Russian armed forces) has said on Facebook that it launched a Topol-M intercontinental ballistic missile last night as part of a test exercise.
The missile was apparently launched from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in northwestern Russia toward the Kura testing range in Kamchatka, which is on Russia's western, Pacific peninsula, according to The Siberian Times and the Russian Ministry of Defense.
The Siberian Times also reports that the northern lights were expected to be particularly bright last night, which explains why some of the photographers were already watching the sky when the bubble appeared.
You can see more images of the cloud and testimony from witnesses at The Siberian Times website.
Follow Calla Cofield @callacofield. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.
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