Greifswald Lights

Event Summary

On the evening of August 24, 1990, a remarkable and mysterious event unfolded in the skies near Greifswald, a city in the German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. This incident, often referred to as the Greifswald Lights, has become one of the most compelling UFO sightings in European history due to the extensive documentation and numerous eyewitness accounts.

Initial Observation
The sighting began around 8:30 PM on a relatively clear night. Multiple independent witnesses, including local residents and tourists, reported seeing formations of luminous spheres in the sky. These lights were visible near the Baltic Sea, specifically in the region between Rostock, Greifswald, and the islands of Ruegen and Usedom. The lights appeared to hover in a fixed formation, nearly motionless, for about 30 minutes.

Witness Accounts
Witnesses described the lights as bright and spherical, emitting a steady glow that contrasted sharply with the night sky. They noted that the lights formed distinct patterns and moved in ways that defied conventional explanations. Some witnesses managed to capture the phenomenon on video and in photographs, providing valuable visual evidence. The lights were observed to remain stationary for an extended period before suddenly accelerating and moving rapidly in various directions.

Behavior of the Lights
The behavior of the lights was particularly unusual. After hovering nearly motionless for approximately half an hour, the lights abruptly began to accelerate. They moved in a coordinated manner, creating complex patterns in the sky. This rapid and coordinated movement suggested a level of control and precision that was inconsistent with natural phenomena or known human-made objects like aircraft or balloons.

Investigation and Analysis
The incident attracted the attention of MUFON-CES (Mutual UFO Network - Center for Scientific Investigation), which conducted a thorough investigation. The organization received six videos and 11 photographs from different individuals, providing a wealth of visual evidence. Additionally, over a dozen witnesses were interviewed, offering detailed descriptions of the event.

Media Coverage
The Greifswald Lights were also covered by the regional public television broadcaster Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR). This media attention helped to spread awareness of the incident and encouraged more people to come forward with their accounts and evidence. The sighting was widely discussed in local media, and the interest it generated led to further investigations by UFO researchers.

Theories and Explanations
Several theories have been proposed to explain the Greifswald Lights, but none have satisfactorily accounted for all the observed data. Some skeptics suggested that the lights might have been military flares or illumination rounds, but this explanation was inconsistent with the lights' behavior and duration. The rapid and precise movements of the lights also ruled out the possibility of weather balloons or conventional aircraft.

Event Details