there were lots of people on social media speculating it could be an alien invasion. it was a flash from a power plant. christine is live in queens with the latest. christina? >> reporter: yeah, it all started in the power plant right behind me. i just got off the phone with con edison, which described it as an explosion, and it offered more details with me just now, and it started as a result of a malfunctioning piece of equipment and that piece of equipment had 138,000 volts attached to it, and that blue light created by a spark, a flash, if you will, and that blue light got a lot of attention. >> oh, that can't be good. >> a transformer explosion at a new york power plant, illuminating the city's skyline.