On the evening of October 14th, around 7:30 pm, I was out walking my dogs in Toronto, Ontario, when I noticed a strange sight over Lake Ontario. Eight brilliant red orbs moved upward in tight formation, their glow unlike any aircraft lights I’d ever seen. Growing up around private pilots and with family in the airline industry, I know planes typically display white lights, not bright red ones. This sight was different—otherworldly.
As I moved south trying to get a better view, I considered everyday explanations. Could it be the Snowbirds flying practice? No, they were on the opposite side of the country, and their lights are not red. Maybe rescue helicopters doing night training? Nope, this was something else entirely.
Running down the hill with my bulldog pulling at the leash, I met a man standing outside a luxury condo who was watching the same phenomenon. We exchanged thoughts, both stunned and unable to identify the source. Suddenly, a large jet with a white light flew closely behind the red orbs, revealing the orbs were not attached to any conventional aircraft formation or flight pattern.
Then, in an instant, the red lights all vanished simultaneously, leaving no trace even though the city lights should have outlined any objects remaining in the sky. It was as if they disappeared into thin air.
We discussed how aircraft are never allowed to switch off their lights mid-flight, especially over a city at night, making this disappearance all the more perplexing.
I regretted not recording the event or alerting my son to witness it, as it felt too surreal despite lasting about 15 to 20 minutes.
The following morning, I spoke to my cousin, who works in the airline industry. Coincidentally, she was landing at Toronto International Airport at the exact time of the sighting. She noticed emergency ground crews spread unusually across the runways but was never informed of any emergency or special landing procedures. Her experience was out of the ordinary compared to her extensive years in aviation.
We’re both left trying to rationalize what we saw. After sharing the story with colleagues and airline pilots, we remain in search of answers to the mystery of those red orbs that lit up the Toronto night sky.