Science advisers appointed by the Trump administration say they may have found conventional explanations for several mysterious glowing orb sightings documented in recently released UFO files. However, they admit one high-profile incident investigated by the Pentagon remains unexplained.
According to the New York Post, Dr Avi Loeb, head of the Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) Science Advisory Council, believes many reported sightings of glowing spheres could be laser generated plasmas rather than extraterrestrial objects.
Laser generated plasmas may explain many sightings
Loeb said powerful lasers can create glowing spheres at the focal point of a beam or where two beams intersect.
“A glowing sphere could potentially be generated at the focal point of a powerful laser or at the intersection of two laser beams,” he told the New York Post.
Because such plasma does not consist of a solid object, it could appear to move through the air at extremely high speeds without producing a sonic boom or visible fireball.
Loeb compared the phenomenon to cats chasing laser pointers, noting that similar laser technology is already used by the US military, including in systems designed to counter drones and ballistic missiles.
Pentagon investigated unusual orb encounter
Despite those explanations, Loeb said they do not account for a 2023 incident near a secure military facility in the western United States, where intelligence officials reportedly witnessed an orange “mother orb” releasing multiple smaller red orbs.
The encounter is described in a June 5, 2026 letter from All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) Director Dr Jon Kosloski.
According to the report, the larger orb remained stationary for several hours before launching smaller glowing objects that displayed coordinated horizontal movements and changes in altitude.
Loeb said the behaviour and duration of the event far exceeded what could be explained by current laser generated plasma technology.
Former admiral says case defies conventional explanation
Admiral Tim Gallaudet, another member of the UAP Science Advisory Council, said some sightings may indeed be explained by natural or man-made phenomena such as ball lightning or laser produced plasmas.
However, he said the Pentagon case involving an orb releasing smaller objects remains particularly puzzling.
“Ball lightning and laser produced plasmas are possible explanations in some cases. But in the AARO ‘orbs launching orbs’ case, I cannot think of any conventional explanation,” Gallaudet told the New York Post.
Ball lightning theory falls short
Loeb has also suggested that ball lightning, a rare electrical phenomenon often seen after thunderstorms, could explain some orb sightings.
However, he noted that ball lightning usually lasts only a few seconds, whereas the 2023 incident reportedly continued for several hours, making it an unlikely explanation for that particular case.
The unusual encounter remains one of the most closely examined incidents by the Pentagon’s AARO as investigators continue to study unexplained aerial phenomena.