No, The Mesmerizing Lights Over Southern Indiana were Not UFOs

Tuesday night my brother shared photos on social media of some weird lights in the sky. He lives in Ft. Branch, IN, and after he shared them, other residents commented that they also saw the unidentified flying objects.

UFO or Something Else?

There were several lights that appeared to float across the sky. I didn't see anything around my house, on the north side of Evansville.

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Lights on the Move

The mysterious lights didn't make any noise like an airplane or helicopter. They seemed more like slowly moving falling stars. There were more posts about the strange lights, and nobody could figure out what they were. It had been a strange day in space, with a lunar eclipse and blood moon, so I figured it could be something in the atmosphere.

Mystery Solved with an Emotional Twist

So, my brother found out that his UFOs were actually lanterns that were sent floating into the sky, in memory of a son, brother, and dad who was taken far too soon by a drunk driver.

In Memory of Zachary Bailey

Stacy Martin-Elpers lost her son, Zach when he was only 21 years old. In 2016, he lost his life in a drinking and driving accident. November 8, 2022, would've been his 28th birthday. The family set out to send 28 lanterns into the sky, but only around 14 actually went airborne. Stacy tells my brother that they have been doing this every year, adding a lantern for each birthday.