Some thought it was a spotlight. Others wondered whether aliens were visiting us from afar.
One person joked it was probably "swamp gas" from Florida.
Turns out it wasn't one of theirs from a distant galaxy, it was one of ours.
Hundreds - perhaps thousands - across Florida witnessed a white or bluish cloud shining in Wednesday's sky just before dusk shortly after a Delta IV rocket was launched from Brevard County. Reports of the peculiar spectacle came from as far north as Jacksonville and down to the Florida Keys, U.S. Air Force officials said.
The National UFO Reporting Center received about a dozen reports from across the state, said director Peter Davenport.
Meteorologists in Melbourne said the sight was nothing to be alarmed about. "There is no reason to be freaking out," laughed National Weather Service meteorologist John Pendergrast, based in Brevard County.
Scientists believe the swirly white or electric-bluish cloud was caused by the exhaust plume of the rocket, which formed a cloud of ice crystals 240,000 to 280,000 feet above Earth. The illumination was caused by the sun still shining at that height.
The two spacecraft with red lights that some reported seeing were likely the rocket booster and the rocket separating from each other, officials said. The formation of the cloud and the 8:29 p.m. launch time made conditions ripe for the spectacular sight.
"You can only get that effect at certain times of the day," Pendergrast said. "It was perfect timing. We knew before the launch we would be seeing something interesting in the sky."
The same phenomenon was widely reported in South Florida in 2009, shortly after the launch of space shuttle Discovery.
Wednesday's military rocket launch was part of a project to send into orbit a U.S. Air Force satellite paid for by the Australian government, said U.S. Air Force spokesman Chris Calkins. The operation will expand communications capabilities among allied troops, he said.
The rare sight prompted many to contact the Sun Sentinel with photographs, videos and their theories of what they had witnessed. Many were convinced the occurrence was right above their homes, and quite a few saw it as they were walking their dogs.
Brian Bartlett said he and his pooch saw the sight from Delray Beach.
"If E.T. is here, come hang, homie, let's grab a beer," he wrote on the Sun Sentinel's Facebook page.
Michael Littman of Coconut Creek said his mom, Linda, thought it was a plane on fire. He soon found himself hovering over his computer, comparing notes with friends over the phone.
"I swear it was something else and told her it was no plane," he said. "I looked online and saw that a rocket was sent up. So, was it a rocket or not?"
Many came up with vivid descriptions of what they saw.
Ariana Drain, a waitress from Dania Beach, described it as "a strange star in the sky that seemed to swirl with a trail of what seemed like a white cloud."
Drain said she and her boyfriend also noticed "flashing star-like objects" forming around the swirling star.
She was among those who contacted the UFO Reporting Center, sending along her photos and two videos as evidence.
Terrell Quamina described it this way in an e-mail:
"The craziest thing by far had to be when two circular light objects descended from under the light blue vortex side by side in a symmetrical manner, hovering at the same speed, until one of the UFOs flew on ahead picking up speed," she wrote. "The second UFO then came to a full stop and just basically floated in one spot."
Paul Lisker, of Boynton Beach, said he spent much of Thursday explaining to friends and co-workers what he had seen.
"They all thought I was acting crazy," Lisker said. "Now I am glad I wasn't the only one going crazy."
While another glowing blob in the sky is not guaranteed, the next launch from Cape Canaveral is scheduled for Sept. 25, when the U.S. Air Force fires off an Atlas 5 rocket.
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