Tools / Was it a planet?
Was it a planet?
Saw a bright light you couldn't explain? Tell us when and where, and which way you were looking. We'll show what was in that part of the sky: planets, the Moon, the brightest stars and, for recent nights, the Space Station.
The sky at that moment
Planet and star positions: astronomy-engine. Space Station orbit: Celestrak. Fast-moving things like planes, drones and lanterns can't be checked this way.
The usual suspects
Most lights reported as UFOs turn out to be one of these. If yours matched none of them, it is worth reporting.
- VenusThe brightest thing in the sky after the Sun and Moon. Low in the west after sunset or the east before dawn, steady and white, it can look like a landing light that never lands. It is the most common "UFO" of all.
- JupiterBright, steady and cream-coloured, often high in the sky all night. Through binoculars you can see up to four tiny moons beside it.
- Sirius and other bright starsLow on the horizon, a bright star twinkles hard and flashes red, green and blue. People film Sirius as a "colour-changing craft" every winter.
- The MoonA thin crescent low near the horizon, orange and half-hidden by cloud, can look nothing like the Moon.
- The International Space StationA bright, steady light gliding across the sky in a few minutes with no blinking, then fading out in mid-air as it enters Earth's shadow.
- Starlink trainsA straight line of evenly spaced lights moving together, seen in the days after a launch. One of the most reported "fleets" since 2019.
- Planes and dronesLanding lights pointed at you look like a still, bright light for minutes. Look for blinking red and green, and listen.
- Sky lanternsOrange, flickering lights drifting slowly with the wind, often in a group after a wedding or party, then winking out one by one.
Want to rule things out on the spot? See the skywatching guide, the What did I see? quiz, or browse Canadian sightings and how investigators rated them.