Around 8.45pm, light beams were seen flashing across the sky, rotating as if from a lighthouse and reportedly seen many kilometres away.

The sighting sparked a flurry of conversation online, varying from the curious to the conspiratorial.

A post in the For Sale Bega Facebook page clocked up over 470 comments in a matter of hours as people tried to solve the source of the mysterious lights, which some suggested were seen as far away as Eden.  

Theories included helicopter guiding beacons, a rising moon, and, inevitably, aliens. Some said it had never occurred before, others insisted it happened all the time.  

So, what were they?

A Southern NSW Local Health District spokesperson confirmed helicopter direction lights were left on at the South East Regional Hospital on Saturday night. This has prompted a review of their operating procedures.

In addition, the lights and sensors have recently been relocated from the ground level mental health building to the roof of the main building, making the direction lights more visible from a distance. 

The Federal Government’s Civil Aviation Safety Authority recently inspected the helipad at SERH. The lights were relocated to comply with new CASA regulations.

So it seems Bega is safe from aliens, for now.