Case file · Sighting
Kensington lights over the Gulf
On 4 June 2014 John Sheppard filmed 22 minutes of unusual lights over the Gulf of St. Lawrence while putting out a bonfire near Kensington, Prince Edward Island.
2014 CE · 46.43, -63.64 · status: disputed
The account
MUFON listed the report and CBC covered it, offering ordinary explanations alongside the claim.
The sceptical view
Lights filmed at night over water with no reference points are very hard to judge; lanterns, aircraft and boats were suggested.
The researched reading
Lights filmed over the Gulf at night with aircraft about, best explained by parachute flares or aircraft lights. The video is too poor in reference points to say more.
| Explanation | Weight | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Something known, misidentified | 50% | Readers and analysts pointed to parachute flares from search-and-rescue or military training aircraft, and to aircraft approaching the Magdalen Islands. The witness had heard planes just before, and a large military aircraft made passes the next day. |
| Undetermined | 20% | The share a generic explanation had beyond what has been shown for this case: it fits many cases like this one, but has not been demonstrated for this one. |
| Genuinely anomalous | 8% | MUFON ruled out drones and called it unidentified, but it did not exclude flares. |
| Secret human technology | 6% | Military training with flares counts as ordinary hardware, but its schedules are not public. |
| Perception, memory or mind | 5% | Lights over open water at night have no reference points, so distance, size and motion are easily misjudged. |
| A poorly understood natural phenomenon | 4% | Nothing specific suggests an unusual natural light. |
| A hoax or fabrication | 4% | The witness appears sincere, but MUFON’s conclusion went beyond the evidence. |
| A known natural phenomenon | 3% | Stars or planets near the horizon distorted by the air are possible for some lights. |
Official position: No official investigation; MUFON called it unidentified, and CBC reported ordinary alternatives.