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Today in History: Unexplained Celestial Phenomena Spotted Across Europe

By Drooid · Sep 20, 2026, 10:36 AM UTC · How we work

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Story summary

On 20 September 1977, residents across the Soviet Union’s western region, Finland and Denmark reported a luminous object over the sky that emitted multiple rays, an event later called the Petrozavodsk phenomenon. Sightings stretched from Copenhagen and Helsinki to Vladivostok, sparking debate over its nature and origin.

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Story summary

On 20 September 1977, residents across the Soviet Union’s western region, Finland and Denmark reported a luminous object over the sky that emitted multiple rays, an event later called the Petrozavodsk phenomenon. Sightings stretched from Copenhagen and Helsinki to Vladivostok, sparking debate over its nature and origin.