WATCH | Not UFO or alien, this 'mysterious' spiral in Alaska is something else

A "mysterious" spiral was spotted in Alaska as aurora watchers and photographers were intrigued to see the huge bluish-white shape in the sky early morning on Saturday (April 15). The shape looked mesmerising with the northern lights in the background.

The images and videos went viral on social media platforms, with people speculating what is it but scientists from The Geophysical Institute at the University of Alaska Fairbanks have said that the mysterious shape, which later faded away, could be linked to a SpaceX rocket launch that took place earlier on that day in California.

As quoted by the Independent, geophysicist Don Hampton said: "We learned that SpaceX had launched one of their Falcon 9 rockets into a polar orbit about two hours earlier, and watching a replay of their live feed showed the trajectory going right over Alaska."

Add WION as a Preferred Source

Here's the video:

People also shared their experiences on social media as Todd Salat, who has been capturing the stunning northern lights for years, wrote on Facebook that he experienced a first – "an illuminating gyre in the sky."

Elizabeth Withnall from northwest Alaska wrote on Facebook: "I was out aurora watching and saw the craziest thing in the sky," she wrote on Facebook. "I always see strange things in the sky but this was insane."

In her post, Withnall said she was "hoping a spaceship would land and aliens would hop out" but Don Hampton of the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute said this event wasn't exactly related to a UFO.

Hampton told The Associated Press that "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. It's not a galaxy...It's just water vapour reflecting sunlight."

What was it?

The spiral was linked to the SpaceX company's launch of a new rocket as reports have mentioned that such spirals have been seen in the past as well and they mostly appear as the upper stage of Falcon 9 dumps excess fuel when it falls into the ocean.

SpaceX had launched a rocket from California's Vandenberg Space Force Base just hours before.

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.