Home
Weather New York
WeatherRadar
RainRadar
TemperatureRadar
WindRadar
LightningRadar
Weather News
Editor's Pick
Discover the app
Weather widget
Contact us
Apps
Career
    Home / Weather News /

    Mysterious object: Eerie blue spiral in Hawaii's sky

05:00 PM
January 28, 2023

Mysterious object
Eerie blue spiral in Hawaii's sky

Privacy policy
"On January 18th, our Subaru-Asahi star camera captured a vortex that appeared over Mauna Kea, Hawaii Island."

A mysterious swirl of blue light was spotted in the night sky above Hawaii's Mauna Kea. But what was it?

A video dated January 18, 2023 showed a glowing blob of light moving across the sky in Mauna Kea for several minutes before disappearing, captured by the Japanese Subaru Telescope.

Well, it turns out, this alien-looking object was simply frozen rocket fuel from SpaceX's Falcon 9 launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Once the satellite was deployed in space, and before re-entering the Earth's atmosphere, the remaining rocket fuel was ejected, which resulted in a cloud of frozen fuel crystals.

Frozen rocket fuel has been known to create other magnificent displays before, with these so-called "SpaceX spirals" becoming more common.

Weather & Radar USA editorial team
More on the topic
High pressure & extreme heat. Why & how does it work?. . . Sunday, July 12, 2026
Sunday, July 12, 2026

Why & how does it work?

High pressure & extreme heat
Hurricane parade in the Pacific. Karina is very strong. . Weather Videos. Tuesday, September 1, 2026
WindRadar for Friday, showing the three hurricanes – Lowell, Karina and Maria – over the Pacific.
Weather VideosTuesday, September 1, 2026

Karina is very strong

Hurricane parade in the Pacific
Waterspouts possible, what are they?. They can be dangerous. . . Sunday, August 9, 2026
Waterspouts weatherradar.
Sunday, August 9, 2026

They can be dangerous

Waterspouts possible, what are they?
All weather news
This might also interest you
Southwest flood risk. Brief triple-digit break. . . Monday, August 31, 2026
Desert Southwest
Monday, August 31, 2026

Brief triple-digit break

Southwest flood risk
Why the South will sizzle. Heat wave builds. . . Wednesday, September 2, 2026
Wednesday, September 2, 2026

Heat wave builds

Why the South will sizzle
9 inches of rain, 4 feet of surge. Texas & Louisiana. . . Tuesday, September 1, 2026
Tropical Storm Edouard will bring heavy rains and gusty winds, with flooding possible.
Tuesday, September 1, 2026

Texas & Louisiana

9 inches of rain, 4 feet of surge
All articles
Weather & Radar

Weather & Radar is also available on

Google Play StoreApp Store

Company

Contact us Privacy policy Legal info Accessibility statement

Services

Uploader

Socials

instagramfacebookthreadslinkList