'Strange train of lights' spotted in the sky over London in the middle of the night
Share:
Confused onlookers have been left searching for answers after a 'strange train of lights' were spotted in the sky in the middle of the night over London. The mysterious lights appeared to move in spectacular formation across the night sky over the capital, casting a spectacular glow against a cloudy backdrop. One of those to spot them was comedian and former Mock the Week host Dara Ó Briain.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), he wrote: "London folk! Does anyone what event was creating this light show at 1.23 am(!) last night? For directions, the lights were heading in a line toward the centre of town from Chiswick/Hammersmith. Or was it a Close Encounter?".
While the unusual phenomenon brought the inevitable online chatter of UFOs and secret technology, one more likely explanation is that it came from rehearsals for the Mayor's New Year's Eve celebration in central London, which includes a light show. One commenter said: "I don't really know London. But could it be some kind of rehearsal for the midnight fireworks. The lights section anyway?".
Dara replied, saying this was the most sensible suggestion he had read. He later wrote: "The consensus is that this is the rehearsal for the lights part of the London NYE fireworks, although I was secretly hoping it would be a 1930’s style movie premiere at 1am.".
Others decided to have a little more fun with their theories as to the origin of the lights. Raising the possibility the sight was in fact unwanted presents being sent back to Father Christmas, one user wrote: "Unhappy/unsatisfactory returns heading back to North Pole Depot via the Chimney network.".
