Mysterious giant spiral leaves people looking for northern lights baffled
A mysterious giant spiral has left people in search of catching a glimpse at the famed northern lights utterly baffled.
The bizarre sight was spotted last Friday night (14 April) into the early hours of Saturday morning (15 April) and has since taken social media by storm.
Pictures taken from the event have since gone viral leaving everyone completely stunned at what the reason was behind the miraculous wonder.
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The space oddity spotted in Alaska, US, left people totally speechless with one avid aurora-watcher, Elizabeth Withnall, papping pics of the sight and sharing them to Facebook.
Withnall captioned the series of photos writing: "Ok I was out aurora watching and saw the craziest thing in the sky. I always see strange things in the sky here but this was insane."
Photos from the evening subsequently made their way across other social media platforms including Twitter where many theorized over what the strange spiral could be.
Some claimed it was evidence for 'extra-terrestrial life' while others maintained it was a bizarre sighting of the 'northern lights'.
It seems though, however, that both schools of thought were wrong.
In reality the spiral, as many on social media pointed out, was nothing more than a rocket exhaust.
Talk about an anti-climax.
Space physicist, Don Hampton, a research associate professor at the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute, offered his expertise on the matter.
He told KTUU: "After doing some online research, this phenomenon appears to be rocket engine exhaust from a SpaceX Transporter-7 mission that launched on the Falcon 9 about three hours earlier in California."
The expert continued: "Water vapor in the exhaust from the second stage engine freezes and catches high-altitude sunlight, effectively glowing and creating this spiral galaxy of a display. The payload is 51 satellites and it’s on its way to orbit."
In short, the rocket launched from California's Vandenberg Space Force and its engine exhaust released water vapor that eventually turned into ice during its fly-by over Alaska.
Hampton added that the SpaceX rocket was able to gain altitude when it went over Alaska which is what led to it 'stunning many night-watchers'.
One of which included the likes of Alaska-based photographer and 'professional aurora hunter', Todd Salat.
Like Withnall, the photography was also quick to whip out the camera to record the magnificent moment.
He caught the spiral expanding and moving over Donnelly Dome near Delta Junction on a 30-second time-lapse video.
Salat told NBC: "At first I had no idea of what I was seeing, but this phenomenon appears to be caused by engine exhaust from a SpaceX Transporter-7 mission."
Mystery solved.
Rhiannon Ingle