A curious spiral of flying blue light, with the appearance of a galaxy, was seen in the sky in Hawaii, on the 18th.
The phenomenon was recorded by a camera on the Japanese telescope Subaru — one of the 13 large observatories, from different countries, located on top of the 4,200-meter-high Mauna Kea volcano.
The team explains that at first it was just a point in space; then it turned into an image that resembled an arch. And it grew until it turned into a spiral.
Watch an accelerated video (time lapse):
What can it be?
- Astronomers believe the spiral is related to a SpaceX rocket
- Frozen fuel ejected during launch can cause this effect.
- A Falcon 9 rocket was launched from Florida on the 18th, carrying a GPS satellite for the US Air Force.
- It wasn’t the first time a galaxy shape has been associated with a Falcon 9.
- Phenomenon is already being dubbed “SpaceX spirals” by experts
Why does it happen?
The rocket’s first stage, which generates the most lift-off thrust, separated about three minutes after launch (and was recovered on Earth). The second stage then used its small engine to move to where it would release the satellite.
After leaving its payload, any remaining fuel is ejected so that the second stage also returns safely. This process probably caused it to rotate for a few minutes until it stabilized to land in the Pacific Ocean (on an autonomous ferry from the company).
The result is a spiral cloud of frozen fuel crystals illuminated by sunlight.
It is not the first time
In April 2022, the same camera Subaru-Asahi Star in Hawaii captured a similar scene, also after a Falcon 9 launch. In June of the same year, a spiral was also seen from New Zealand. It’s no coincidence: in general, SpaceX rocket stages fall into the Pacific Ocean, which is why the region is privileged in the observation of these strange phenomena.
Frozen fuel has also created striking visual anomalies in other parts of the world. In March of last year, a Chinese rocket created a large spinning sphere of light that hit an aurora borealis in Alaska. In October 2017, an even larger blue orb was seen over Siberia, generated by Russian military rocket tests.
Shortly after launches, the Falcon 9 also often leaves strange patterns in the skies over Florida, like “space jellyfish”.
With information from Space, Space Weather and Live Science.
