Two Paraguayan Accounts Describe a Luminous Orb Centuries Apart

Historical records from Paraguay contain two accounts of a strange luminous object reported more than two centuries apart, according to Neatorama. The first account dates to August 10, 1631, when a large glowing orb was reportedly seen moving slowly across a settlement. The object was described as throwing sparks behind it before disappearing with a loud noise. A similar account appeared in 1866, during the Paraguayan War. Neatorama says the later description was almost word-for-word the same as the earlier report. Both accounts compared the object’s appearance to a full moon, while also noting that its movement and behavior did not resemble the moon. The records were preserved in archives left by Jesuit missionaries in Paraguay. The reports emerged within the broader colonial history of the region, when Franciscan and later Jesuit missionaries were active among Indigenous communities. Neatorama’s account notes that the Jesuits established a system known as reductions with the Guarani people. The reports describe an unusual observation, but the supplied account does not identify what the object was or provide an explanation for the similarities between the two descriptions. Neatorama directs readers to further discussion of the sightings at Inexplicata.