“We honestly have no explanation for the floating objects over Kansas City.” The National Weather Service kicked off a wave of questions, jokes and frenzied speculation on Thursday with a tweet about a series of orbs floating over the Kansas City area.
Amidst a wave of sightings, the agency’s Kansas City office tweeted: “We honestly have no explanation for the floating objects over Kansas City.”
People shared images of the objects on social media and on YouTube:
The most likely explanation was a balloon of some kind, although there were competing theories. KMBC speculated that the objects may have been from either Google or the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the latter of which launched three balloons in Maryland on Monday:
But they’re likely these balloons from Raven Aerostar, which makes the DARPA balloons and other high-altitude balloons (including Google’s Loon balloons), picked up over Kansas at the time of the sightings:
Mike M
Balloons usually move with the clouds? Kind of unlikely I would say!
Evelyn L
Balloons are not stationary as that things was. Would have loved to see the view of it from that jet that went by.
Bryan G
Most likely balloons. First off that cloud ceiling is low. Those balloons would be in the upper atmosphere where the wind is not blowing the same as at lower altitudes. The way the sun is reflecting off of them also makes it likely they are balloons.
Daniel E
It was the 4th and they were those Chinese lanterns people send off. Increasing altitude decreases drift and the plane went over it not under. Come on.
Charles R
Two weeks ago these same type of aerial craft were over Dayton. They made the news and were a mystery here. Same explanation was given of experimental ballons from Cumberland, MD. The prevailing winds in our area as most areas this time of year is from the west or sw. If these are Darpa Ballons, then they must have some kind of propulsion system, and maybe they do.
Shelly S
Probably should know this but WHY does Google have balloons?