Astonished viewers were captivated by mystifying trails of light dancing across the night sky.
The skies over several states in the United States, including Maryland, New York, New Jersey, Tennessee, Illinois, Ohio, and Nebraska, were treated to an unusual light show on Tuesday night. But what caused this spectacle, and was it related to the Perseid meteor shower?
The spiral light show was likely caused by the launch of the Ariane 6 rocket. This powerful rocket, capable of launching both heavy and light payloads for various applications, lifted off from the Guiana Space Centre at Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, at about 8:37 p.m. ET.
As the Ariane 6 ascended, its upper stage performed a de-orbit or venting maneuver while spinning, which vented leftover propellant into space. This vented propellant formed a frozen exhaust plume at high altitude, which, due to the rocket's spin, was shaped into a spiral pattern.
The sunlight reflecting off this frozen plume created a bright, stable spiral shape of light that was visible from the ground. This phenomenon occurs due to the reflection of sunlight off the frozen plume of vented fuel from a rocket’s upper stage as it spins in space at high altitude.
Similar spiraling light phenomena have been reported with other rocket launches, such as SpaceX’s Falcon 9. However, the spiral light show observed on Tuesday night was unique, as it was primarily linked to the launch of the Ariane 6 rocket.
Meanwhile, another rocket, the Vulcan Centaur Rocket, successfully lifted off from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida at 8:56 p.m. ET. Despite some speculation, the Vulcan's launch was not related to the unusual light show observed along the East Coast.
Reports of the spiral light show began to pour in around 10:30 p.m. ET, with WPVI, an ABC Philadelphia station, receiving numerous calls and messages about the phenomenon. Blake Brown, a resident of Algonquin, Illinois, was one of the many witnesses who saw the light show while watching for the Perseid meteor shower.
Contrary to some initial fears, the spiral light show was not caused by falling space debris. Instead, it was a result of the launch of Ariane 6 and the unique interaction between sunlight, the rocket's upper stage, and the frozen plume of vented fuel.
In conclusion, the spiral light show observed in the skies over several states on Tuesday night was a mesmerizing natural phenomenon caused by the launch of the Ariane 6 rocket. The spiral is a frozen exhaust plume formed from vented propellant at high altitude, shaped by the rocket's spin, and illuminated by sunlight in space. The Perseid meteor shower, visible on Tuesday night, did not contribute to this light show.
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