A UFO research group in Manitoba has been unable to identify a mysterious sighting in the sky over P.E.I. on Boxing Day.

The long, smoky spiral was videotaped by Tony and Marie Quigley of North Tryon. Researchers in Manitoba used digital software to enlarge the images, and were able to rule out meteors, satellites and airplanes, but beyond that they just don't know.

Environment Canada and the Transportation Safety Board were unable to explain the phenomenon.
(Still from video by Marie Quigley)

Chris Rutkowski, head of the Ufology Research Centre in Winnipeg, said the Quigleys join a group of hundreds of Canadians who see something unexplainable in the sky every year.

"They were witness to a very interesting phenomenon and they're one of the hundreds of people in Canada every year who see UFOs," said Rutkowski.

"In their case, it was something very spectacular in 2007."

Only about one third of sightings each year are definitively explained. The incident will be included in the group's annual report, due out in a couple of weeks.

Environment Canada and the Transportation Safety Board also examined the video, but were unable to explain the phenomenon. The best explanation offered is it might have been a fighter jet dumping fuel.