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. — NWS Kansas City (@NWSKansasCity) June 21, 2019

People shared images of the objects on social media and on YouTube:

❓ We've taken several calls in our newsroom about these two orbs spotted in the Kansas City sky tonight. This picture was taken near KCI Airport. @NWSKansasCitypic.twitter.com/fz4kGTIk1h — KMBC (@kmbc) June 21, 2019

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:

Last night, DARPA launched 3 balloons from Cumberland, Maryland, in a flight test for the Adaptable Lighter Than Air prgm. Over next few days, ALTA will demonstrate capability for wind-borne navigation of a lighter-than-air vehicle over extended ranges. https://t.co/Og8dWCvszcpic.twitter.com/NjUB6Got94 — DARPA (@DARPA) June 18, 2019

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:

The three #Thunderhead balloon system launched by @RavenAerostar on June 18th from Cumberland (MD) are over Kansas (2) and Colorado (1) .



Track them live on @flightradar24 at:https://t.co/BxyPBilXytpic.twitter.com/9qDuq2Mtja — StratoCat (@stratoballoon) June 21, 2019

On Twitter, the balloons became the objects of speculation, wishful thinking and more than a few gags:

THIS IS IT

THEY’VE COME BACK

FINALLY, IT’S ALL OVER https://t.co/vhZs0Isvgs — Sam Sykes (@SamSykesSwears) June 21, 2019

Aliens: hi–



Me, leaning out the window with a megaphone, screaming at the top of my lungs: RIGHT OVER HERE https://t.co/dLFi1YZIZJ — Melanie Schmitz (@MelsLien) June 21, 2019

They're going home. pic.twitter.com/9PIhlifOjs — US Consumer Product Safety Commission (@USCPSC) June 21, 2019

Please be the Mothership

Please be the Mothership

Please be the Mothership

Please be the Mothership

Please be the Mothership

Please be the Mothership https://t.co/ola6YalNAz — Brooke Binkowski (@brooklynmarie) June 21, 2019