Russian authorities were hit with hundreds of UFO reports after residents of northern Siberia saw a “huge glowing ball” in the sky.

Some described what they saw as “the end of the world.” Others described it as an alien encounter, or the opening of a portal to another dimension.

Photographer Sergey Anisimov was in the city of Salekhard, which is situated on the Arctic Circle, when he saw the strange light. He said:

“I was taken aback for a few minutes, not understanding what was happening. The glowing ball rose from behind the trees and moved in my direction. My first thought was about the most powerful searchlight, but the speed of changing everything around changed the idea of what was happening. The ball began to turn into an arc and gradually dissipated.”

The source of the glowing phenomenon has not yet been confirmed. Several experts have suggested it was likely the residual emissions from Russia’s launch of four RS-28 Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missiles earlier in the evening. In 2009, a failed missile launch created a similar atmospheric display. Others have suggested it may have been caused by aurora, otherwise known as “Northern Lights.”

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