Traveling through the darkness near Pembroke, Ontario, my wife and I encountered an extraordinary spectacle that etched itself sharply into our memories. Just as we were cresting a hill north east of the city, with the Ottawa River beneath us, a bright pink light caught our eyes. It moved rapidly from east to west, hovering slightly upward with an aura that shimmered with a gentle iridescence, unlike any aircraft or earthly light we’d seen before.
We had just crossed the first of three bridges spanning the river, on Morrison’s Island, when this glowing phenomenon streaked across the night sky. Its movement was swift and impossible—gliding along a slight upward path before veering sharply away at an angle that defied explanation. The object disappeared into the darkness, heading north-west— away from the city and out of our sight.
What struck us most was not just the radiant pink hue and the subtle haze surrounding the object, but the sheer speed and silent grace of its passage. Neither my wife nor I spoke until it faded, yet our shared gaze and the moment of silence said all. The empty road, save for another car ahead that surely witnessed the spectacle, added to the eerie stillness.
This wasn’t any ordinary light, reflection, or aircraft—this was an encounter with something sweeping and alien. A fleeting glimpse of mystery that left us questioning what truly illuminates the midnight skies above Pembroke.