Lexicon · Concept

sky lantern

The sky lantern (Chinese lantern) is a paper lantern that works like a small hot-air balloon, heated from inside by an open flame. It frequently causes UFO reports, because at night it appears as an orange light, a slowly floating object.

The sky lantern (also known as a Chinese lantern) is a lantern made of thin paper and a lightweight frame, open at the bottom. Inside it, a small burner, usually a waxy insert or one soaked in fuel, heats the air, so the lantern rises like a hot-air balloon. They are released around the world at holidays, events and memorials.

Why does it come up in connection with UFO phenomena?

The sky lantern shows several features that may seem unusual to an inexperienced observer: at night it appears as an orange-reddish light, it rises or drifts silently and slowly, and it follows the direction of the wind. If several lanterns are released at once, the lights can float in a group, sometimes forming a shape, and then disappear when the burner goes out or the lantern reaches its altitude. Because of this, they are reported as UFO sightings from time to time.

Skeptical and official approach

Skeptical researchers and organizations that investigate reports regularly list sky lanterns among identified cases as a common, everyday explanation for bright, slowly moving, silent lights in the sky. When investigating a sighting, it is therefore worth checking whether an event or lantern release took place in the area, what the wind direction was, and whether the movement of the light is consistent with that of a wind-driven, low-altitude object.

Other considerations

The use of sky lanterns is restricted or banned in several countries and municipalities, because they can pose a fire hazard, and falling debris can cause pollution. In UFO news, therefore, the lantern is not only a misinterpreted phenomenon but also one of the typical examples of misidentification.

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