Space jellyfish

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A space jellyfish (or jellyfish UFO; also rocket jellyfish) is a rocket launch-related phenomenon caused by sunlight reflecting off the high altitude rocket plume gases emitted by a launching rocket during morning or evening twilight. The observer is in darkness, while the exhaust plumes at high altitudes are still in direct sunlight. This luminous apparition is reminiscent of a jellyfish.[1][2][3] Sightings of the phenomenon have led to panic, fear of nuclear missile strike, and reports of unidentified flying objects.[4][5][6][7][8][9]

List of rocket launches causing space jellyfish[]

Rocket launch Payload Date Location Summary Notes References
Falcon 9 flight 126 Inspiration4 space jellyfish.jpg Inspiration4 15 September 2021 Florida The first fully civilian crewed orbital spaceflight, launched from Cape Canaveral after sunset. [10]
Soyuz-2.1.a launch Progress MS-17 29 June 2021 European Russia A Soyuz-2.1a launched the Progress MS-17 to the International Space Station from Baikonur Site 31 on 29 June 2021. As the rocket reached the upper atmosphere the expanded rocket plume was illuminated by the sun creating a "jellyfish". [11][12]
Falcon 9 flight 114 Crew-2 space jellyfish.png SpaceX Crew-2 23 April 2021 Florida A crewed Cape Canaveral launch in the pre-dawn. The "jellyfish" lasted over 10 minutes after liftoff. In addition to the "jellyfish" created by the second stage, the returning first stage also made visible plumes. [13][14][15]
Falcon 9 flight 62 SpaceX Falcon 9 Launch from Vandenberg, CA - October 7 2018 - 45131925812.jpg SAOCOM 1A 8 October 2018 California A West Coast launch off California, in the post-dusk; causing UFO reports [16][17][18]
Falcon 9 flight 57 CRS-15 Mission (41281636860).jpg SpaceX CRS-15 29 June 2018 Florida An East Coast launch off Florida, in the pre-dawn [1]
Soyuz-2.1.b launch Glonass-M satellite 17 June 2018 European Russia A launch from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome heading over the cities of Nizhny Novgorod and Kazan, Russia. [19][8][9]
SpaceX as it flew over L.A..webp SpaceX Iridium 4[NB 1] 22 December 2017 California A West Coast launch off California, in the post-dusk [20]
Atlas V 551 AV-056 flight MUOS-4[NB 2] 2 September 2015 Florida A Cape Canaveral launch in the pre-dawn. [21][22]
weather satellite 8 July 2014 European Russia A launch from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan [23]
RS-12M Topol-M nuclear missile test launch ISS-37 RT-2PM Topol missile launch (2).jpg N/A 10 October 2013 Eurasia Launched from Kapustin Yar, Russia; to crash into , Kazakhstan. [24]
Kosmos 1188 14 June 1980 European Russia A launch from Plesetsk Cosmodrome resulted in a giant U-shaped jellyfish appearing over Moscow and Kalinin, Russia. [25]
Kosmos 955 20 September 1977 Northern Europe A launch from Plesetsk Cosmodrome resulted in a jellyfish vapour trail seen over northern Europe, causing the UFO incident known as the "Petrozavodsk phenomenon". [26]

See also[]

  • Noctilucent cloud
  • Exhaust plume
  • Vapor trail

Notes[]

  1. ^ Iridium-NEXT launch SpaceX-4
  2. ^ U.S. Navy Mobile User Objective System satellite

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b Hanneke Weitering (29 June 2018). "See the 'Space Jellyfish' and Other Jaw-Dropping Views from SpaceX's Dragon Launch". Space.com.
  2. ^ РОСКОСМОС (17 June 2018). "РОСКОСМОС. ИНВЕРСИОННЫЙ СЛЕД РАКЕТЫ-НОСИТЕЛЯ "СОЮЗ-2.1Б" НАБЛЮДАЛИ В РЯДЕ РЕГИОНОВ РОССИИ" (in Russian). Roscosmos.
  3. ^ Marta Subat (4 July 2018). "Science: See the 'Space Jellyfish' and Other Jaw-Dropping Views from SpaceX's Dragon Launch". Infosurhoy.
  4. ^ Cleve R. Wootson Jr. (23 December 2017). "A 'UFO sighting' briefly freaked out the West Coast. There was an earthly explanation". Washington Post.
  5. ^ LISA MARIE SEGARRA (23 December 2017). "People in L.A. Definitely Thought This SpaceX Rocket Launch Was Aliens". Time Magazine.
  6. ^ Mike Wright (23 December 2017). "'Did we just see a UFO?' SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch causes consternation as it lights up the Californian skies". The Telegraph (UK).
  7. ^ "A giant, glowing jellyfish or an alien invasion? No, this is a reused SpaceX rocket". Hindustan Times. Associated Press. 23 December 2017.
  8. ^ Jump up to: a b Chris Baynes (18 June 2018). "'Alien invasion' over World Cup stadium was actually Russian rocket launch". The Independent (UK).
  9. ^ Jump up to: a b "Russian Rocket Launch Sparks UFO Conspiracy". The Moscow Times. 18 June 2018.
  10. ^ Lada, Brian (15 September 2021). "SpaceX launch creates mesmerizing clouds over East Coast". AccuWeather. Retrieved 15 September 2021.
  11. ^ "Russian cargo ship sets off after the International Space Station in dramatic sky show". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved 2021-06-30.
  12. ^ Progress MS-17 launch, retrieved 2021-06-30
  13. ^ April 2021, Amy Thompson 23. "SpaceX launches 4 astronauts to space station, nails rocket landing". Space.com. Retrieved 2021-04-23.
  14. ^ Kelly, Jennifer Sangalang and Emre. "NASA and SpaceX launch Crew-2 astronauts: Best tweets, photos from Twitter, Instagram". Florida Today. Retrieved 2021-04-23.
  15. ^ Volz, Brianna (2021-04-23). "What were those white flashes in the sky after SpaceX's Crew-2 launch? We explain". WKMG. Retrieved 2021-04-23.
  16. ^ Alexandra Lozovschi (10 October 2018). "Stunning Photos From The Latest SpaceX Rocket Launch Reveal A Dazzling Plume In The California Sky". The Inquisitor.
  17. ^ William Graham (7 October 2018). "SpaceX Falcon 9 launches with SAOCOM 1A and nails first West Coast landing". NASA Spaceflight .com.
  18. ^ Ian Atkinson (2 October 2018). "SpaceX conducts static fire test ahead of SAOCOM-1A mission, first west coast RTLS". NASA Spaceflight .com.
  19. ^ Charlotte Davis (22 June 2018). "Residents startled as BIZZARE [sic] 'UFO' object lights up night sky near Russia World Cup city". The Express (UK).
  20. ^ Loren Grush (23 December 2018). "All the best reactions to SpaceX's Friday night rocket launch in California". The Verge.
  21. ^ Jonathan O`Callaghan (4 September 2015). "No, That Incredible Atlas V Launch Was Not A UFO". IFL Science.
  22. ^ Maxime Lambert (21 July 2016). "La vidéo d'un étrange halo bleu relance le débat sur Internet" (in French). Maxi Sciences.
  23. ^ Lauren Hitchings (10 July 2014). "Jellyfish in the sky was a high-flying rocket plume". New Scientist.
  24. ^ Alan Boyle (14 October 2013). "UFO? Astro ghost? Find out what that spooky space cloud really was". NBC News.
  25. ^ Chris A. Rutkowski (2008). A World of UFOs. Dundurn. p. 99. ISBN 978-1-77070-343-8.
  26. ^ James Oberg (31 December 1981). "Close encounters of a fabricated kind". New Scientist. Vol. 92 no. 1285. pp. 896–898.

Further reading[]

  • David Clarke (2013). The UFO Files: The Inside Story of Real-life Sightings. A & C Black. ISBN 978-1-4081-9482-9.
  • Chris A. Rutkowski (2008). A World of UFOs. Dundurn. ISBN 978-1-77070-343-8.
  • James E. Oberg, The "Jellyfish UFO" Dilemma (PDF), Donning

External links[]

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