Unusual beam of light connected to Chinese rocket

On Thursday morning, a luminous streak observed across the sky is believed to have originated from a Chinese rocket, according to experts. People from multiple locations reported seeing a bright, straight trail during early dawn and late dusk hours.

Jonathan McDowell, an astrophysicist at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory in the United States, explained: "This was the Chinese Zhuque-3 rocket on its inaugural test flight. It traveled over the UK and northern Europe around 05:00 GMT, completing the first orbit after launching from China at 04:02 GMT. The upper stages of Chinese rockets have previously been known to leave long, linear propellant trails."

Ellie Jarvis from Clovelly shared her astonishment: "I have never witnessed anything like this. Initially, I wondered if it could have been an aurora or a natural phenomenon, such as a light pillar. I also considered the possibility of a distant beam from a ship or some other source, but the light appeared very high in the sky."

Observers also ruled out the trail being caused by a jet contrail, as it appeared too extensive. Similar vertical light patterns, called light pillars, sometimes occur when sunlight reflects off ice crystals at high altitudes, producing remarkable atmospheric effects.

Author: Benjamin Carter