Unusual lights over Cyprus draw reports and scientific investigations

Chlorakas, Cyprus. A September 1985 sighting off Chlorakas remains one of Cyprus’s best-known reports of unexplained aerial phenomena, with no definitive explanation established. Nearly four decades later, such reports continue to attract public attention and scientific investigation.

The 1985 sighting

Fishermen off the coast of Chlorakas reported seeing a bright white glow on the horizon that gradually expanded into a rainbow-like arc.

According to Dr Georgios Florides, co-founder of the Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP) Cyprus Centre, the phenomenon lasted around 35 minutes and coincided with a power cut in nearby Kissonerga.

At around the same time, commercial pilots flying between Cyprus and the Aegean reported an unusual luminous object. The incident received local press coverage and attracted the attention of aviation authorities, but no definitive explanation was established.

Ordinary explanations for unusual lights

Most objects and lights seen in the skies above Cyprus have ordinary explanations. Satellites pass overhead every night, meteors cross the night sky and aircraft travel through one of the world’s busiest regions. Nevertheless, sightings that observers cannot immediately explain have generated reports of unusual aerial phenomena across the island for decades.

International interest has grown following US government disclosures and a renewed willingness among scientists to discuss the subject openly.

Agapios Elia, Chief Operating Officer of the Troodos Observatory, said reports of unusual lights are a frequent part of his work.

“Often people write or call in to report strange sightings or they mention things they have seen at one time or another during our public sessions,” he said. “Nowadays a lot of people just post online about unusual lights they see and they are frequently directed to us for clarifications.”

Elia said many recent reports involved SpaceX’s Starlink satellites or military activity in the Middle East. Other common explanations include missile plume cones, high-altitude aircraft reflecting the setting sun, unusual cloud formations and meteors.

Asked whether he had ever encountered a phenomenon that ultimately defied explanation, he said: “I have to say no.”

“Any strange looking phenomenon ultimately turns out to be one of two things: man-made and nature-made.”

Understanding scale and distance

Elia said ordinary explanations do not mean observers are imagining what they see. Many unusual sightings instead reflect difficulties with perspective.

“From a practical standpoint, the biggest misconception is a lack of understanding regarding scale and distance,” he said. “People often struggle to judge how large, how fast, or how far away a light in the dark sky truly is.”

How reports are investigated

For Florides, each report begins with an investigation. Established in 2022, the UAP Cyprus Centre investigates unexplained aerial phenomena in Cyprus and the Eastern Mediterranean from a scientific perspective.

When a report is received, investigators visit the location where possible, interview witnesses, measure distances and viewing angles, and analyse photographs. They also compare the location and time of the sighting with flight paths, satellite movements and astronomical data.