Strange lights were spotted over the Twin Cities on Tuesday — here's what it may have been

A UFO? Or just a "fuel dump"?

A video shows a strange light in the sky Tuesday night over Woodbury, Minnesota, causing some to wonder what it may have been.

Rusty Nereng, who took the video, tells WCCO he captured the unique sight around 9:30 p.m., moving from south to north with what looked like halos of light on each side.

There have been other reports across the eastern part of the U.S. of the same strange light, leading to speculation of meteors, weather phenomena or, of course, the good old UFO sighting.

Rusty Nereng in Woodbury, Minnesota, says he saw a strange light in the sky around 9:30 p.m. on Aug. 12, 2025, moving from south to north with what looked like halos of light on each side. Rusty Nereng

It turns out that strange sight in the sky wasn't from the weather — but it could help us track the weather in the future.

It's possible that it was actually the Ariane 6 rocket. The European Space Agency says it launched the rocket from South America on Tuesday night.

It was carrying a weather and climate satellite that will orbit the Earth, sending back weather information that will aid in weather forecasting and climate monitoring, among other helpful weather services.

So the strange sight in the night's sky that brought about a lot of questions is hoping to bring better weather answers for forecasters in the future.

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