On Sunday, March 15, 2026, many people in Nepal saw a triangular-shaped light in the sky, much to their awe and amazement. The phenomenon amused those lucky to see it, who poured their surprise on social media. But the event has led to several funny, logical, and scientific speculations. What was it? A rocket launch, or something else? Here’s what people are saying.
What does the AI say?
Since my own curiosity also peaked, I couldn’t resist seeking some insights from the AI. So, I asked Gemini AI what it might have been. It responded that it could have been a SpaceX launch, more specifically, a Falcon 9 rocket launched from Florida or California, which can be seen globally.
The response was far more generic neither was I relying on it for the perfect response.
Now, to the real people.
Not a rocket flying over Nepal- NASO
Nepal Astronomical Society (NASO) has rejected theories that it might have been a rocket flying over the Nepali sky. In a lengthy Facebook post, it said that it could have been a Chinese rocket beaming a “twilight rocket plume”. It said,
“The bright sight seen in the sky from various places in Nepal this evening is not actually a rocket flying over Nepal. It is a phenomenon where a rocket launched from China reaches an altitude of about 200-400 kilometers above the Earth, and its smoke is illuminated by sunlight.
When a rocket reaches such a high altitude, the gas released from it spreads out a lot and can be seen from thousands of kilometers away on Earth. Therefore, this sight may have been seen from Nepal, Bhutan, Assam in India, and other areas at the same time.
Importantly, in this case, the rocket is not flying over Nepal. It is much further away, probably north of Nepal, over the skies of China or Tibet. But due to its extreme altitude, its bright smoke is also visible from Nepal.
This type of phenomenon is called a “twilight rocket plume” in scientific language, which is a common astronomical sight sometimes seen during satellite launches.”
Also: How does the Android earthquake alerts system work | How to activate and get alerts in Nepal?
A Chinese rocket, possibly
NASO refers to CGTN, China’s state-run media, to indicate that the plume might have originated from the Yaogan-50 02 remote sensing satellite rocket launched into space at 09:22 PM local time. It was launched on a modified Long March-6 rocket.
But it’s just a theory with more credibility. No one has so far been able to assert with proof what the plume was able to do that sent people into an amusing meltdown.