A because of this phenomenon, which occurred in the early hours of Saturday, it was more common than a possible extraterrestrial invasion or the emergence of a portal to another place in the universe.
The light was simply the result of excess fuel released by a SpaceX rocket launched from California about three hours before the spiral appeared, reported the Associated Press (AP) agency.
“Sometimes rockets have fuel that needs to be disposed of,” explained space physicist Don Hampton, a professor and researcher at the Fairbanks Geophysical Institute at the University of Alaska.
“When they do that at high altitudes, that fuel turns into ice. And if you happen to be in sunlight, when you’re in darkness on the ground, you can see it as a kind of big cloud and sometimes as a whirlpool. “, he added.
The SpaceX Spiral over Alaska from Earth to Sky Calculus on Vimeo.
While it’s not a common sight, Hampton said he’s seen such occurrences about three times.
The appearance of this spiral was captured by the Geophysical Institute camera and widely shared.
“This spiral has created something of an uproar on the Internet,” Hampton said.
Photographers who capture the famous northern light have also posted their photos of the light blue spiral on social media.
The rocket that lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Friday night was carrying about 25 satellites.
“The timing was ideal, they did some kind of fuel dump at that moment and we got that spectacular spiral”, he stressed.
Although it looked like a galaxy flying over Alaska, the expert guarantees that it wasn’t.
“I can say that it is not a galaxy. It is just water vapor reflecting sunlight”, he concluded.
Also Read: Party Day at NASA. Helicopter completed 50 flights on Mars
Always be the first to know.
Seventh consecutive year Consumer Choice for Online Press.
Download our free App.
