Astronomer revealed the secret of a space jellyfish spotted in the sky

Alexander Kiselyov, an astronomer and popularizer of astronomy and cosmonautics, explained that the so-called "space jellyfish", which was noticed by passengers of an airliner in China, occurs after the launch of launch vehicles under certain atmospheric conditions.

In conversation with aif.ru On Tuesday, October 27, the expert noted that at dusk, the sun's rays highlight exhaust gases and particles released by the rocket into the upper atmosphere. At the same time, for the effect to appear, several factors must coincide: the position of the Sun, the height of the plume and the transparency of the air.

Kiselyov said that similar phenomena were repeatedly observed after the launches of the Falcon 9, Soyuz and other launch vehicles. The glow looks especially impressive when the steps are separated, when the gas plume expands dramatically, and additional fuel emissions enhance the effect.

The astronomer added that it is possible to see the "space jellyfish" only from a certain angle. The trajectory of the rocket, clear weather and the absence of dense clouds also play an important role.

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Passengers of one of the airliners in China recently witnessed an unusual sight. A giant glowing formation resembling a jellyfish with a neon dome and long tentacles appeared outside the windows of the aircraft. Footage of the rare optical effect quickly spread online.

The Sohu portal reported on October 26 that a Changzheng-6A launch vehicle was launched in China on October 23, after which a luminous cloud formed in the sky, reminding users of social networks of a "space jellyfish". The rocket launched the Yaogan-50 satellite into the calculated orbit, writes Life.ru . It will collect information about land resources and analyze the condition of farmland. In social networks, the rocket trail formed after the launch was called a "space jellyfish," notes 360.ru .

Before that, on October 13, another "space jellyfish" was spotted in the sky after the launch of the SpaceX Falcon 9. Internet users noted that the phenomenon turned out to be incredibly beautiful, writes RIAMO.

In September, Vitaly Frantsev, a lecturer at the Perm planetarium, said that a glowing trail in the form of a jellyfish in the night sky over Russia could be associated with a rocket launch. Most likely, it was left by the Soyuz-2.1b rocket launched from the Plesetsk cosmodrome, RT clarifies.