Although it may look frightening and suspicious, like a UFO, the explanation for this intriguing blue spiral in the sky, is actually much more straightforward.
The dazzling scene, which was observed by many in Hawaii’s sky and left them confused, was in fact, the result of a rocket launch carried out by SpaceX.
Shortly after billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk’s SpaceX launched a GPS satellite into space for the US Space Force last Wednesday, it was captured on video by the Subaru Telescope, which is positioned at the summit of Maunakea.
‘On Jan 18, 2023 (HST), the Subaru-Asahi Star Camera captured a mysterious flying spiral over Maunakea, Hawaii,’ Subaru Telescope officials from the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan tweeted.
‘The spiral seems to be related to the SpaceX company’s launch of a new satellite.’
Scott Tilley, a citizen scientist and satellite tracker responded to the question by stating that the orientation of the spiral was an almost perfect match for where the second stage of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket would likely be located minutes after launch.
GPS satellite launched by SpaceX
On Wednesday at 7:24 a.m. Eastern Time, SpaceX successfully launched the GPS satellite from Cape Canaveral in the state of Florida.
The upper stage of the Falcon 9 appeared to be venting unused fuel in the shape of a spiral, according to experts, as the spacecraft made its slow descent into the ocean.
When the rocket fuel is expelled, it immediately begins to freeze rapidly and crystallize into the shape of a spiral. This spiral is then illuminated by the sun.
Previous events of the same spiral in the sky
It is not the first time that spectators of a SpaceX launch have been left with the impression that there may be UFOs present.
In June of the previous year, a mysterious blue spiral flying over the sky of New Zealand startled observers, who speculated that it originated from some other planet.
The erupting gas cloud illuminated the sky over Nelson, a city located at the southernmost tip of New Zealand’s south island, and continued on its path southward to Stewart Island, which is approximately 466 miles (750 kilometers) away.
However, after further investigation, experts concluded that the event was brought about by a piece of man-made debris in the shape of a failing rocket that Musk’s company launched.
Starlink satellites being deployed by SpaceX have also been blamed for a trail of mysterious moving lights that terrified Australians in January 2022.
Recording-breaking launches by SpaceX
A record-breaking 61 launches were carried out by the company in 2022, nearly doubling the previous year’s total of 31 lift-offs.
It has only been 19 days into 2023, but SpaceX has already launched five rockets into space. This means that if the company maintains this pace, it will have completed 96 missions by the end of the year.
