Key takeaways:
- The mysterious spiral was a unique and awe-inspiring sight for the northern light enthusiasts in Alaska.
- The spiral was formed when excess fuel from a SpaceX rocket that launched from California turned to ice and reflected sunlight in the upper atmosphere.
- Christopher Hayden, a photographer from Fairbanks, captured the phenomenon on camera and his photo has since gone viral.
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Northern light enthusiasts were left in awe over the weekend when a massive “mysterious spiral” emerged from the usual bright green bands of the aurora in the Alaska skies.
Christopher Hayden, a photographer from Fairbanks, Alaska, captured the phenomenon on camera. In the photo, a light baby blue spiral resembling a galaxy appears amid the aurora for a few minutes.
The spiral was formed when excess fuel that had been released from a SpaceX rocket that launched from California about three hours earlier turned to ice, and then the water vapor reflected the sunlight in the upper atmosphere.
Just before 2 a.m., Hayden experienced a “first” – “an illuminating gyre in the sky” that he said was sailing through the lights and over Donnelly Dome near Delta Junction, just southeast of Fairbanks.
Experts believe the phenomenon was caused by the rocket launch, but the exact cause is still being investigated. Hayden said he was amazed by the sight and that it was a “once in a lifetime experience.”
The mysterious spiral was a unique and awe-inspiring sight for the northern light enthusiasts in Alaska. Hayden’s photo has since gone viral, with many people marveling at the beauty of the phenomenon.
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