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Alaska is known for its Aurora Borealis views, and enthusiasts and photographers from around the world have come to watch this marvel. Last weekend, a massive "mysterious spiral" was noticed by Aurora watchers. They were left bewildered when the light baby blue spiral emerged amid their usual bright green bands.
Todd Salat was photographing the Northern Lights, as he has been doing for years. He has taken on the name "The Aurora Hunter" on social media platforms due to his photography of the Northern Lights.
Just before 2 a.m., he witnessed a "first" - "an illuminating gyre in the sky," according to his Facebook page. He said it was just sailing through the lights and over the Donnelly Dome near Delta Junction in Alaska.
The mysterious shape, which appeared to be a massive, hazy, shimmering spiral that resembled a galaxy, arrived out of nowhere. It was hovering just above a mountain and in the middle of the usual set of green auroras.
The scientific reason behind this incident was leftover rocket fuel. A SpaceX rocket had been launched from California's Vandenberg Space Force Base just three hours earlier. According to Space.com, the Falcon 9 rocket had more than 50 satellites in it and was launched at 2:48 a.m. ET.
The rocket dumped fuel at just the right time to be visible over Alaska. Don Hampton, a space physicist, said that is how "we got that really cool-looking spiral thing."
The scientific revelation did not stop social media users from taking to Twitter to discuss the spiral. There has been an outbreak of responses from users around the world to this phenomenon.
Alaska's Aurora Spiral causes netizens to post several hilarious reactions online
Aurora Spiral has received mixed responses from internet users worldwide. Social media users took to Twitter to discuss the strange spiral phenomenon that has gone viral on various platforms.
Some users talked about how they would be starstruck if something like this happened.
Others seemed convinced that it was a galaxy or an alien spaceship portal.
A few users had a unique outlook on the spiral-shaped baby blue light in the sky. Whereas, some commented on how the year was getting "weirder."
Another set of users tried to educate others about the scientific reasons behind the mysterious spiral. They seemed to want to curb the spread of misinformation.
Amidst all the reactions, the real reason behind the Northern Lights spiral was explained by Todd Salat, also known as the Aurora Hunter, and Dan Hampton, a research associate professor.
The reason behind the Alaska Aurora Borealis Spiral
Todd Salat wasn't the only one to see the strange Aurora Borealis spiral. Miles away, in northwest Alaska, Elizabeth Withnall had a similar sighting. She took to Facebook to say that what she saw was "insane":
"I was out aurora watching and saw the craziest thing in the sky. I always see strange things in the sky but this was insane."
Withnall was more annoyed than amazed by the spiral. She sarcastically commented on how Elon Musk ruined her aurora.
The early Saturday morning phenomenon was not the result of an "alien invasion" or a portal that led to the far end of the universe. It was simply the aftermath of excess fuel released from a SpaceX rocket that was launched from California.
Space physicist Don Hampton, a research associate professor at the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute, said that rockets have fuel that needs to be jettisoned sometimes. He continued:
“When they do that at high altitudes, that fuel turns into ice. And if it happens to be in the sunlight, when you’re in the darkness on the ground, you can see it as a sort of big cloud, and sometimes it’s swirly.”
Hampton continued that he had seen the occurrence about three times before, even though it wasn't a common sighting. The appearance of the swirl-looking excess fuel was caught in a timelapse on the Geophysical Institute’s all-sky camera and shared with users worldwide. Hampton said:
“It created a bit of an internet storm with that spiral."
Salat said in an email to The Associated Press that it went over Alaska "during a beautiful aurora display, stunning many night-watchers." He remarked that he was equally amazed and perplexed. He continued by saying that after seeing the image, he enjoyed the "mysterious feeling of the unknown."
This isn't the first time a flying spiral has been caused by SpaceX this year. Another was caught by the Subaru-Asahi Star Camera in the night skies of Hawaii last January from a military GPS satellite that launched from Florida.
