Experts say UFO line of lights in Qld sky likely Elon Musk’s Starlink

A series of “mysterious lights” caught on camera in the South Burnett and Brisbane caused plenty of online discussion last night. WATCH THE VIDEO:

A series of “mysterious lights” caught on camera in the South Burnett and Brisbane on Sunday night caused a social media stir but were likely to be Starlink satellites, experts said.

But the potential solving of one mystery does not mean other recent ones have been answered.

Residents at Acacia Ridge in Brisbane and Wondai on the South Burnett each reported seeing the “strange” object - a line of light in the sky, in the early hours of Saturday night within minutes of each other.

Brisbane’s Ben Bagley shared his footage on social media saying it was captured above Acacia Ridge about 7.30pm.

The 51 second clip shows the line of light streaking across the sky above suburban roofs.

Possible UFO lights in the night sky believed to Starlink satellites. Picture: Facebook

At the same time Wondai resident Sam Dyson, 250km northwest of Mr Bagley, snapped a photo of a similar string of light in the night sky above the regional town.

Mr Dyson took to social media with his photo too, saying the “strange” object “was moving reasonably quick and was visible for about one minute”.

Speculation as to the source ran rife in the comments below the images with readers split between whether it was a satellite belong to controversial billionaire Elon Musk’s Starlink service, the International Space Station, or something more otherworldly.

Experts at UFO Research Queensland said on being shown the images that Starlink was the most likely explanation for Sunday night’s lights.

Divers search Kinbombi Falls for missing personal trainer

UFORQ president Sheryl Gottschall said the image “certainly looks like Starlink satellites after a launch”, with the company owned by controversial billionaire Elon Musk having reportedly launched a vehicle on February 22. Picture: Facebook

UFORQ president Sheryl Gottschall said the image “certainly looks like Starlink satellites after a launch”.

“They stay bunched up like that until they reach orbit where they then spread out,” Ms Gottschall said.

“A further check reveals a SpaceX falcon 9 launch vehicle carrying 22 Starlink satellites was indeed launched to low-earth orbit from the Space Launch Complex in California on 22 February.

“This is most likely the explanation for what people witnessed in this case.

“UFORQ has received many reports just like this recent report since the first 60 Starlink satellites were launched in 2019.”

This did not mean other recent sightings of weird phenomena, like sightings in the Fraser Coast’s sky in January, fell in the same boat.

Ms Gottschall said the UFORQ had received a number of similar reports of lights appearing and disappearing in one location since late December, 2024.

“There has been a recent ‘drone/UFO’ phenomenon emerge all around the world, including Australia, and in some cases there have been ‘drone/UFO’ incursions over nuclear installations as well as local neighbourhoods which has definitely ignited public interest,” Ms Gottschall said.

“So more people are now looking at the sky and reporting UFOs which they may not have looked for prior.”