These stunning spirals are becoming routine occurrences.
On Monday night, a mesmerizing blue spiral captivated stargazers in Norway, even appearing thousands of kilometres away in Iceland. However, the celestial spectacle wasn't what it initially seemed. Later analysis revealed the awe-inspiring phenomenon wasn't a newfound galaxy, but rather, a human-made creation.
This mesmerizing blue spiral wasn't an extraterrestrial anomaly, but rather the result of a SpaceX Falcon-9 rocket launch. The discarded second stage of the rocket, during its de-orbit burn, created this stunning visual display that captivated astrophotographers and aurora hunters across the high latitudes.
"To the naked eye, it looked white, but my Nikon D750 camera revealed the beautiful blue colour. I noticed it at 2:02 am local time," Begtoft told spaceweather.com.
Demystifying the SpaceX Spiral
This captivating blue phenomenon observed in the night sky, often called the "SpaceX Spiral," is not a celestial wonder, but rather the consequence of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch. The launch took place approximately an hour before the spiral appeared, carrying 53 small satellites into orbit as part of mission Transporter-10. It was launched from California's Vandenberg Space Force Base.
As the discarded second stage of the Falcon 9 rocket traversed the Barents Sea, it initiated a de-orbit burn, leading to an unforeseen spectacle.
The exhaust gases, undergoing rotational motion, morphed into a remarkable spiral formation, observable from Begtoft and even reaching as far as Iceland, where Aurora photographer Shang Yang documented the celestial phenomenon.
Meanwhile, these stunning spirals are becoming routine occurrences.