Main
News
Science
What was that? An unidentified object was spotted flying over Kyiv at night (video)

What was that? An unidentified object was spotted flying over Kyiv at night (video)

20 April 2026, 12:00

What was that? An unidentified object was spotted flying over Kyiv at night (video) — The Lyrid meteor shower

Late in the evening of 19 April, a bright object was spotted streaking across the sky above Kyiv. Social media users agreed that it was either a meteor or a comet — the Lyrid meteor shower is currently underway. However, some suggested that it was linked to the launch of an American rocket into space.

A video of the object flying overhead has gone viral online. Reactions from Kyiv residents ranged from surprise and amazement to concern and caution, wondering whether yet another Russian missile was heading for the city.

According to NASA, the Lyrids – a meteor shower visible in the night sky at the end of April – can currently be observed. The source of the meteor shower is a large amount of dust and small debris left behind by Comet C/1861 Thatcher. The Lyrids do not usually leave long, glowing dust trails as they pass through Earth’s atmosphere, but they can occasionally produce bright flashes.

The peak activity is recorded annually between 14 and 30 April. This year, the highest meteor activity in the sky above Kyiv is expected on the night of 22 April. It is at this time that the radiant (the constellation Lyra) rises highest above the horizon.

Meanwhile, jokes have appeared on social media suggesting that the object’s passage might be linked to the (un)successful launch of a space rocket by the American private company Blue Origin.

The company launched the New Glenn rocket with a payload, demonstrating the latest successful upgrades, but failed to achieve the mission’s objective — the payload entered the wrong orbit. The rocket’s first stage returned to Earth, whilst the second stage burned up in the atmosphere, although Kyiv residents would not have been able to see it.

Science

Science

In Japan, rare crested ibises, which had become extinct in the country several decades ago, have been reintroduced into the wild

For the first time in several decades, eight crested ibises – a species that became extinct in Japan in the last century – have been released into the wild.