It\u2019s a bird, it\u2019s a plane\u2026 it\u2019s a\u2026 fireball?<\/p>\n
That\u2019s exactly what Maria Neufeld thought as a blazing streak suddenly tore across the southern Manitoba sky earlier this week. Driving home along Highway 14 near Plum Coulee, she says the fiery spectacle appeared out of nowhere.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was looking south-southeast, and all of a sudden this fireball came hurtling down,\u201d Neufeld said. \u201cI could literally see flames on it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Upon sharing this tidbit of information on our social media platforms, others confirmed to have seen it too.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Astro club offers a possible explanation<\/p>\n
The sighting led us to call on Kenton Dyck, founder of the PV Astro Club who joined us in studio to discuss what residents may have seen.<\/p>\n
Dyck says it\u2019s not the first time he\u2019s been contacted about an unexplained light in the sky. This time, though, he believes there\u2019s a strong possibility the event was linked to a rocket launch, not a meteor.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere was an Ariane 6 launch that exact same day,\u201d he said. \u201cAt that time, it would have been in the upper stages of our atmosphere. I didn\u2019t see the event myself, but if I had to bet, that\u2019s probably what it was.\u201d<\/p>\n
The European Space Agency\u2019s Ariane 6 rocket launched earlier that evening, and Dyck says the timing lines up perfectly with reports from southern Manitoba around 8:45 p.m.<\/p>\n
How rocket launches can look like fireballs<\/p>\n
Dyck explains that when rockets reach high altitudes, they often separate their first-stage boosters, releasing leftover fuel into the upper atmosphere. The expelled fuel turns into ice crystals, which remain illuminated by sunlight long after the sun has set on the ground.<\/p>\n
\u201cSince those rocket launches happen much higher up, it\u2019s still daylight up there,\u201d Dyck said. \u201cThat sunlight hits the cloud of fuel, and it can make the sky look like it\u2019s on fire.\u201d<\/p>\n
The light can vanish quickly once the rocket moves eastward into the Earth\u2019s shadow, which, Dyck adds, fits exactly with Neufeld\u2019s description of the object suddenly disappearing.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019ll see it glowing for a moment, and then it\u2019s just gone,\u201d he said. \u201cThat happens when the rocket moves out of sunlight.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Kenton](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/KENTONDYCK.jpg\"\/)
Kenton Dyck (left), in studio with Jayme Giesbrecht
\nNot a meteor, but still a rare sight<\/p>\n
While many residents immediately assumed it was a meteor, Dyck says the characteristics don\u2019t fully match. A meteor or bolide typically burns up in a straight path, while a rocket stage can appear to drift or even change brightness as it moves.<\/p>\n
Dyck recommends residents search for the \u201cjellyfish effect\u201d —\u00a0a well-documented visual phenomenon caused by rocket launches that occur just after sunset.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a lot of footage online showing it,\u201d he said. \u201cIf Maria compares what she saw to that, she might find it looks pretty similar.\u201d<\/p>\n
He adds that as more private and government agencies launch rockets worldwide, unusual sightings like this could become more common in Manitoba\u2019s skies.<\/p>\n
Submitted photo: Kenton Dyck’s newest project image, The Crescent Nebula (also known as NGC 6888 or Caldwell 27) is an emission nebula located about 5,000 light-years away in the constellation of Cygnus (The Swan). This photo features about 10 hour’s worth of imaging time.<\/p>\n
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Related stories:<\/p>\n
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Keeping eyes on the November sky<\/p>\n
Dyck says there are several other celestial events worth watching for this month, including the Leonid meteor shower, expected to peak around November 17th.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s one of the better ones to watch with the naked eye,\u201d he said. \u201cYou don\u2019t need a telescope — just a clear night and a bit of patience.\u201d<\/p>\n
The PV Astro Club continues to encourage residents to share their observations, whether through photographs, written reports, or simply word-of-mouth.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe more people look up, the more we can learn together,\u201d Dyck said.<\/p>\n
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