UFO identified as plasma fireball in Xinjiang

Summary

In April 1988, a passenger plane in Xinjiang spotted a luminous object behaving unusually. The object, the size of a basketball, emitted a searchlight-like beam and flew alongside the plane before splitting into two distinct shapes. Passengers reported a green ring of light around the phenomenon, sparking significant interest.

A team of Chinese scientists identified it as a plasma fireball, explaining it could have formed from electrical discharges, seismic activity, and electromagnetic waves. According to Zou Yousuo, one of the researchers, plasmas in the atmosphere are common, but their manifestation as a luminous ball is rare. The scientific explanation didn’t remove the mystery of the event, but helped contextualize it within natural phenomena.