Odd lights in the sky have been reported across Patagonia since pre-Hispanic times: Tthe Mapuche natives had the Cherruve, or Cherufe, a mythical being that was linked to comets, volcanoes, will-o'-the-wisp, and fire in the sky.
In the past, I posted about the sightings of strange lights in the sky reported by historical figures such as Sarmiento de Gamboa in the late 1500s and Capt. FitzRoy in the early 1800s. I also mentioned a sighting of lights in Ancud in 1906. Today's post is much more recent, and it was reported by scientists from the University of Magallanes, Chile.
This is a Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) as defined by the U.S. govenment All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO)
The university published the sighting that took place close to Punta Arenas, Chile, on its website in an article titled Universidad de Magallanes registra inédito fenómeno luminoso con cámara trampa de proyecto científico en la Patagonia (University of Magallanes records unprecedented luminous phenomenon with camera trap of scientific project in Patagonia) on Aug. 18, 2025.
The article says the following:
"To the great surprise and astonishment of researchers from the Environmental Studies Group (GEA) at the University of Magallanes (UMAG), they released images of an unexpected discovery made during the Public Baseline Project for the Magallanes and Tierra del Fuego Provinces. One of their wildlife monitoring camera traps had recorded an unusual luminous phenomenon, unprecedented in the context of scientific research in the region.
The recording was obtained in the middle of summer 2025, specifically in the early morning of January 21 (12:22 a.m.), 54 kilometers north of Punta Arenas. At that moment, one of the 65 devices deployed between continental Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego, which monitors terrestrial ecosystems, captured, in just two seconds, three photographs showing intense lights moving downwards. Specialists ruled out the possibility that it was wildlife or a common phenomenon."
Since the lights tripped the movement detector of the camera, they had a physical entity, not just a distant light floating by. The article includes the following images, which, from top to bottom show: a daylight view at the spot a few hours before the event, the sequence of three pictures, and one of them enlarged.
The text continues:
"“In a camera that was on the edge of a meadow quite far from any public road, with no nearby trails used by ranchers, and focused towards a fairly flat horizon, some lights appeared that we cannot explain, because the camera is “set” to take three photos simultaneously when the sensor is activated and it takes those photos in just seconds, so in that micro-period, these lights, which apparently appear to be far away —unless they are very small lights— come closer and end up in front of the camera, dazzling it, in a movement that seems to be downward,” explained biologist Alejandro Kusch Schwarzenberg, in conversation with the LBP Podcast program of UMAG TV.
For Rodrigo Bravo Garrido, also a researcher at GEA UMAG, this event recounted by Kusch represents a unique occurrence: “Phenomena in Patagonia have indeed existed; there are reports, records, and a history, but for it to be the first time it has been scientifically investigated and recognized by the academic in charge of this project, or this part of it, I believe it is unprecedented. Furthermore, it opens a door to understanding that perhaps these phenomena, which were captured by chance or fortuitously, should be investigated in greater depth at some point.”
In light of this, the professional notes that, in Magallanes, accounts of this type of sighting already included the so-called “evil lights” and other oral traditions of indigenous peoples, which reinforces the historical basis of the phenomenon in the region.
Bravo also reported that the case was referred to the General Directorate of Civil Aeronautics (SEFAA), the UFO Museum of La Serena, and specialists in anomalous aerial phenomena for analysis."
The "evil light" or, in Spanish, luz mala, is a common belief in Southern South America, associated with ghosts and wandering, restless spirits. However, the evil light may be a different phenomenon, associated to the will-o'-the-wisp. This case, the lights seem to be similar to ball lightning.
A Plasmoid?
The article then cites a UFO investigator, Freddy Alexis Silva (now we enter the realm of pseudoscience), who after examining the pictures analyzed the trajectory of the lights and did a spectral analysis and concluded that the objects were moving at 947 km per hour (588 miles per hour) or 0.7 match, almost the speed of sound. Silva concluded it is a UAP suggesting it was a plasmoid, a form of exotic plasma that has a very short duration and has been studied by Russian researchers.
A Plasmoid is a real physical entity, and defined as follows: "Plasmoid: A plasmoid is a luminous, plasma-based structure that has a well-defined plasma boundary and is created in a gas environment through the influence of an electromagnetic field. Electrons from the surrounding area are drawn into the plasmoid along magnetic fields to maintain a balance of charge" (Source).
Plasmoids may be the explanation for phenomena like ball lightning, which still remains unexplained despite some papers on the subject, like the excellent analysis of video images by K. Stephan, R. Sonnenfeld, J. Bertoloni, 2025 of a ball lightining in Montana, US., that looks strikingly similar to the ones posted above. Other papers hint at other explanations involving dark matter (Zhitnitski, 2025) or incandescent / inflammable gases (Singer, 1980; Y. H. Ohtsuki and H. Ofuruton, 1991) and a weird "optical theory" proposed by V.P. Torchigin and A.V. Torchigin, 2020 plus a paper reporting a Ball Ligthning Burns caused by one that entered a home through the chimney and burned a man and his daughter! (Selvaggi et al, 2003).
Patagonian Monsters - Cryptozoology, Myths & legends in Patagonia Copyright 2009-2026 by Austin Whittall ©
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