The orange lights drifted across the night sky, while we watched with the rest of the crowd scattered across the lawn. They traveled almost single file at irregular intervals. We ruled out planes and fireflies and satellites, then jokingly settled on aliens, because it was Independence Day, and we had no other explanation.
One didn’t make the full arc. It was falling (crashing? landing?), down towards the earth. It was on fire. Some teenage boys ran out to catch it. No aliens, just the remains of a burnt sky lantern, probably being launched from the same site as the firework show that had drawn us all outside to this Anderson, Indiana lot.
With the mystery solved, they left it behind on the grass, and we all went back to watching fireworks explode.
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Great moment captured and mystery solved.
Thank you! Can you imagine if the one didn’t fall? I’d probably still be wondering about those lights.
Wicked coolness, Stephanie! Even with the mystery solved, I love the spooky atmosphere of the second picture. Nicely done!
Thanks, Traci! I don’t know if you can tell, but the 3 dots in the 2nd photo are actually the sky lanterns. I wish we had a closer-up one.
Lovely, so lovely! Those lanterns are really other-worldly when they’ve traveled from where they were released. I love the sense of mystery and then the “well, back to our regularly scheduled fiery balls in the sky” moment. Great post!
Thank you! Before this, I’d only seen them in photos – probably too dangerous here in the desert.