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What was the mysterious streak of light? Here's what we know about the Southwest sighting

On the night of May 16, a large beam of light resembling a spotlight was seen shooting into the night sky in the Southwest, but its source remains unknown. A Facebook post sharing the mysterious light — reportedly visible from Safford — quickly gained traction, earning 3,000 likes and more than 800 comments by the following evening. "Can someone explain to me what this is?" read a message from numerous commenters. Dozens of images posted in the comments depicted what appeared to be the same sight in cities like Fountain Hills, Payson, and next-door New Mexico and Colorado. Separate Facebook posts showed a similar bright beam of light, with some coming from northern Arizona. Meanwhile, posts on X from New Mexico captured the light appearing and then fading into the night sky. Public affairs offices for Luke Air Force Base in the Phoenix area, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in southern Arizona, and Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque did not immediately respond to The Arizona Republic's request for comment regarding the mysterious light. Although the source of the beam remained unclear, social media comment sections were filled with theories. Despite the speculation, no clear or confirmed explanation had emerged. One of the theories included a Chinese rocket launched the same day from northwest China, carrying a payload of satellites to be deployed, according to Reuters. Some speculated the light could have been caused by a space weather phenomenon known as Strong Thermal Emission Velocity Enhancement, or STEVE, which is created by energized particles in Earth's atmosphere. According to the effect can resemble the northern lights. Others suggested it might have been a light pillar, a phenomenon where beams of light appear due to the reflection of light off ice crystals in the atmosphere. Reach reporter Rey Covarrubias Jr. at rcovarrubias@ Follow him on X, Threads and Bluesky @ReyCJrAZ. What caused the Phoenix Lights? 28 years after the UFO drama, here's what we know This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: A light in the sky? What social media users claim to see