Virginia Beach Meteor ... Or Just Your Casual UFO?

Virginia Beach and North Carolina may have experienced a meteor explosion on Sunday night. Or perhaps Agents Sculley and Mulder were just in the neighborhood -- because despite residents' claims to the police and weather services that something bright exploded in the sky Sunday, the National Weather Service says they have no record of anything meteorlogical.

One motorist who saw the lights while driving east of the Staples Mill Road exit of Interstate 64 described it as similar to “what falls away from big fireworks” but “much bigger” and “from much higher up."

In other words: "Aliens, obviously." But that motorist wasn't the only one:

“It was very, very bright and lasted less than a second,“ said Richmond resident Jay McNamara, who was returning home with his wife on River Road when they saw an object in the southeastern sky. “It was smaller than the moon and a white or yellow color."

"And round, like a flying saucer," McNamara continued. Okay, not really. However, I think there's a pretty good chance that this is going to get run as a UFO sighting, just because, again, the National Weather Service recorded no meteroic activity despite the flurry of e-mails that hit a local news station's inbox.

The point of it all? If you're scared of aliens, avoid the beaches of North Carolina and Virginia in your travels for at least the next few weeks, until things clear up.

Like what you read here? Of course you did! Add our RSS feed to your reader.

Northern Lights for Two

According to a recent article, the Northern Lights are gaining popularity... and not just among photographers and nature enthusiasts. Couples are increasingly visiting Canada, Alaska, Iceland and other far-north destinations for viewing the Aurora Borealis. The lights' unique formations and stunning beauty help set a romantic mood for travelers.

Winter travelers trek thousands of miles to the frozen north each year seeking the sky's "dancing lights," which provoke awe, excitement and, some say, sex.

Tour operator Torsten Eder likes to tell a story about a marriage that was forged under the glowing curtains of light.

"I had one guy from Mexico, and he wanted to surprise his girlfriend by proposing marriage with a ring under the northern lights," said Eder from his office in Whitehorse.

Despite their growth in popularity as a tourist activity, the Northern Lights still may not be for everyone. Travelers frequently endure temperatures 20 and 30 degrees below zero and treks to remote locations to catch a glimpse. If the temperature is a dealbreaker for you, try the Hotel Ranga in Hella, Iceland. The lights are often visible from the hotel itself, and the 50-bottle wine list is enough to keep anyone warm on frigid night.