A "strange bright light" flashing on and off earlier this week awoke a Chichester woman and her husband, who said it was unlike anything they ever saw.

Shari Demers, who lives on Main Street, said she looked out the window and saw other people pulled over in their cars - presumably also because of the light, she said.

"It was actually my husband who insisted on waking me up three or four times . . . it was just bizarre," said Demers, who described the light as a "huge camera flash that lit up our bedroom" every time it went off, for about 10 minutes after 1 a.m. Monday.

David McDonald, director of education at the Christa McAuliffe Planetarium, said he didn't know what the light was.

"We often get calls about Venus. It's getting very bright this time of year," he said, but he added that the planet sets about 11 p.m.