New Yorkers were shocked and amazed by an eerie blue light that took over the night sky in the Astoria neighborhood of Queens on Thursday night. Officials say an electrical fire at a Con Edison substation was to blame — not an alien ship or any of the other wild ideas the sight inspired.
Witnesses described hearing a boom, followed by flashes of light. The light went from white to yellow to an incandescent blue — and with a level of clouds hanging above the New York City skyline, the effect was striking. The comparisons ranged from Ghostbusters to any number of alien movies that have featured the Big Apple.
“Confirming incident in Astoria was result of transformer explosion,” the New York Police Department said in a tweet shortly after the sky went bright blue. “No injuries, no fire, no evidence of extraterrestrial activity.”
Read this story now for free
To continue reading, sign up for our newsletter and get unlimited access to WABE.org
You can select your preferences for news and local content. We will never share your email address. Learn how your newsletter sign-up will support WABE and Public Media
