Blue spiral gets spotted in Hawaii’s night sky. See what was it

Was it aliens, UFOs or a galaxy? A blue spiral in the night sky in Hawaii seems to have spooked many people in the region. The development may seem to be from a sci-fi film.

The whirlpool-shaped blue light was spotted at a Hawaii observatory with the help of the Subaru Telescope by astronomers on January 18. It was also shared on social media platforms like Twitter and YouTube.

The caption on YouTube said, “A ‘Mysterious’ Flying Spiral was seen over Mauna Kea… Really unusual view!”.


The astronomers also asked people if anyone had any idea what this eerie shaped thing could be. “Our keen viewers discovered this rare event. According to them, it seems it is related to the satellite orbital deployment operation. A new satellite was launched earlier this day by Space X,” the astronomers said on social media.

What was it actually?

At Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, a Falcon 9 rocket had taken off from Space Launch Complex 40, a media outlet reported.

The launches of Falcon 9 are already known to lead to strange atmospheric effects, the report said.

Similar spirals have been spotted in the sky by space watchers earlier as well at the time of launch of a satellite, reported another media outlet.

These kinds of spirals have also been visible as far away as New Zealand by the watchers after the launch of Falcon 9, the report added.

What causes galaxy-shaped lights?

In June 2022, a kind of spiral was spotted after Falcon 9 rocket’s upper stage vented leftover fuel before falling into the Pacific Ocean, another media report said.

The spiral shape object seems to have been formed by the upper stage spinning on its longest axis, which happens to stabilize flight orientation, the report added.

FAQs:

1. What is a Falcon 9 rocket?
   Falcon 9 is a reusable rocket of SpaceX.
2. Where is the Subaru Telescope located?
   The 8.2-meter telescope is located at Mauna Kea Observatory in Hawaii.