Petrozavodsk phenomenon

In the early hours, residents of Petrozavodsk saw a glowing object spread over the city like a jellyfish, "raining" shafts of light. Reports came from across the Soviet Union and Finland. The event prompted the Soviet research programme Setka.

Explanation

Usually attributed to the launch of Kosmos-955 from Plesetsk, but the 1977 Academy of Sciences report said the phenomenon could not be satisfactorily understood.

What was seen

Shape: Glowing "jellyfish" showering rays
Witnesses: Thousands, from Helsinki to Vladivostok
Duration: ~12 minutes over Petrozavodsk

Browse

• Russia
• 1970s
• Disputed
• Mass sightings
• Official government documents
• Many independent witnesses
• Radar tracking
• Lights and fireballs

Similar cases

• August 1965 — lights over Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas 1 August 1965
• Canary Islands sphere 22 June 1976
• The spiral over south-west China 24 July 1981
• Gujan-Mestras — the light that put out the street lamps 19 June 1978