Falcon 9 Craft Causes UFO Stir
The successful launch of the first Falcon 9 rocket inspired several ufo reports over Australia as the rocket gave off an intense glow that seemed at times to be almost as bright as the moon. Several witnesses, in fact reported that as they spotted the object they actually mistook it for a second moon in the first few seconds of viewing the brilliant object as it spun through the air.
The real effect according to Space X, which created the Falcon 9 was due to a problem with the rocket rotating in mid-flight in a way that was unanticipated. Fortunately for Space X, the unanticipated behavior did not interfere with the success of the mission and did not even require adjustment of the rocket’s trajectory. What it did do, however, was create a brilliant display as it soared through the heavens leaving a trail of rocket fuel behind it that dispersed into the atmosphere, but not before becoming illuminated in a way very similar to the Norway spiral. This high profile event was not announced, however, before several reports of UFOs came flooding in from Australia through youtube and the Mutual UFO Network. One sighting saw a vexed housewife who tracked the object as it passed over at what she perceived as an incredible speed. Indeed, the object was moving at a very fast speed and was certainly a brilliant display, as could be seen on several videos that were uploaded.
The Falcon 9 is expected to correct the unanticipated maneuver by itself and if there are no further incidents, the mission will be hailed as a success.
2010 has seen an estimated three of these spiral formations in the sky all allegedly caused by the venting of liquid fuel into the atmosphere as the objects move to their destinations in orbit around the Earth. It seems the responsibility of UFO reporting centers to make information of how to properly identify a spiral pattern caused by leaking fuel readily available to the public. In the interest of the progression of ufology, we’ve tracked down a few easy to identify characteristics of these recently commonplace events and how to distinguish them from an unidentified flying object of a different nature.
First, take into account the haze. These events often create a mysterious cloudy haze that are illuminated high in the atmosphere as they interact with light either directly from the sun or the sun’s light reflected off a full moon. They are more likely to take place as a result during the full moon. Second, take into consideration the position of the sun in relation to the formation itself. Is it near the horizon or dead center in the sky? Third, take a moment to look at the dispersion pattern of the object. If it is easy to imagine this field spiraling out from a central point (like fuel spinning out from a rocket) then it’s possible you’re looking at dispersion from a rocket. Finally, even if you’re not sure it may be helpful to videotape this mysterious effect. Those who videotaped the strange object in Australia were perfectly reasonable to do so even though the object was eventually identified. If there is no video footage there is no proof, and it’s always important to document unusual aerial phenomenon just in case you’re looking at something not of this world.
