San Diego flashing lights mystery finally has an explanation

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Strange lights over San Diego prompt questions from locals

A strange pattern of lights over the sky of San Diego early Tuesday in this video from Sam Zarate and TMX.

The mysterious lights floating over San Diego finally have an explanation.

On Monday evening, strange patterns of moving lights were seen floating above the city. Images and videos of the phenomenon quickly garnered attention on social media.

Strange lights in the San Diego sky prompted questions from social media users on Monday. ( Sam Zarate / Local News X / TMX)

The levitating lights, described as orange in hue and in a definitive pattern, baffled observers who were left unconvinced that they were of natural origins — some others even suspected unidentified flying objects (UFOs) or alien origins, but the U.S. Coast Guard said they were actually from flares fired from a ship off the coast, KABC reported.

The puzzling pixels were reportedly from naval crews conducting flare training with expired flares, the Coast Guard said, per KGTV.

SAN DIEGO SKIES LIGHT UP WITH MYSTERY LIGHTS, PROMPTING QUESTIONS FROM LOCALS

The lights were also reportedly seen in nearby Tijuana.

A witness told KGTV that she saw planes in the sky and boats in the water. She said the strange lights were brighter than the lights on the planes and those on the boat.

The witness, Natasha Reichart, also said the lights were definitively moving.

"These were coming back and going, moving different directions, and all of a sudden coming as a cluster together," Reichart told the outlet. "It was definitely not of this world."

Many people similarly online claimed to see the lights move or change formation.

"Multiple floating lights over the ocean. Very still, very bright. Orange, reddish light. Patterns of 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6," the user wrote.

Despite an official explanation, some people are still speculating the lights were not flares.