Remote-controlled helicopters, kites with electric wires and Chinese lanterns have all been touted as explanations for mysterious lights seen over Hawera.
The Taranaki Daily News received numerous calls after reporting a bizarre light display over the South Taranaki town on Tuesday night.
Hawera Astronomical Society member Bob Burdoff favours the remote-controlled helicopter theory as there are models with light-emitting diodes (LED lights) that illuminate the rotorblades.
"I think that the clever money would be on someone just being a silly sod and flying one of those at night," he said.
"I did wonder whether it could be St Elmo's fire [ball lightning]. That would be the only other thing it could possibly look like."
He said that after looking at the photo published yesterday, these seemed to be the only plausible explanations.
"Failing all else, the aliens are here ... which I don't really believe for a moment," he said.
Well that's a nice, objective viewpoint, isn't it. To read the rest of the article, click here.