Strange light in Norwegian sky

[Crostorm]

The Norwegian Metrological Institute has received hundreds of phonecalls from confused observers but so far has been unable to identify its origin.

Some experts have speculated that the phenomenon might have been caused by a Russian rocket launch. However, the Russian embassy insists such claims are completely unfounded.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstop ... stery.html

[x-y-no]

Are we sure these photos are real? Those spirals look quite different from the smooth ring in the image in the linked article ... maybe the smooth ring image is later (i.e. the spiral has either faded or spread out into an even ring)

Whatever it is, it's not natural.

[Crostorm]

Here some more pictures

http://www.yr.no/nyheter/1.6902555

Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkx7myyAk4s

[brunota2003]

Are we sure these photos are real? Those spirals look quite different from the smooth ring in the image in the linked article ... maybe the smooth ring image is later (i.e. the spiral has either faded or spread out into an even ring)

Whatever it is, it's not natural.

This one I agree on...I can do those spirals on my free GIMP program

[x-y-no]

Here some more pictures

http://www.yr.no/nyheter/1.6902555

Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkx7myyAk4s

OK ... I'm convinced it's real. That article has photos by multiple different photographers at what are clearly well-separated locations. And the video is from yet another perspective.

Pretty freaky. Kind of like a giant pinwheel firework of some sort - I guess the Russian missile test gone wrong hypothesis is as good as any ...

[brunota2003]

Looking at that photo, that certainly looks like a trail from a launch of...something. Looks similar to the trail from the shuttle/missiles post launch

[Squarethecircle]

The circle and the blue light look like they could be natural, but that spiral...

I guess we'll have to wait and see.

[x-y-no]

Looking at that photo, that certainly looks like a trail from a launch of...something. Looks similar to the trail from the shuttle/missiles post launch

Good catch. No question that's a rocket launch.

So what the heck were the Russians up to creating a giant space pinwheel?

[brunota2003]

The same thing they do every night, Pinky. Try to take over the world!

[jasons2k]

Photos can be deceiving. There is a really simple explanation: the shutter was open for a long period of time to capture the 'ringed spiral' look on some of those photos - aka time lapse photography.

It's the same technique used to capture multiple lightning strikes, or to show the 'tails' of stars in the sky, etc. It's very common in low-light situations.

[brunota2003]

Photos can be deceiving. There is a really simple explanation: the shutter was open for a long period of time to capture the 'ringed spiral' look on some of those photos - aka time lapse photography.

It's the same technique used to capture multiple lightning strikes, or to show the 'tails' of stars in the sky, etc. It's very common in low-light situations.

There are eyewitnesses on the ground saying it looked like what is shown in the photos, though

[brunota2003]

Well, whatever the cause, Russia came out and announced it was indeed a failed rocket (missle) launch:

Reports: Bizarre Sky Spiral Caused by Failed Missile

A spectacular spiral light show in the sky above Norway Wednesday was caused by a Russian missile that failed just after launch, according to Russia's defense ministry.

When the rocket motor spun out of control, it likely created the heavenly spiral of white light near where the missile was launched from a submarine in the White Sea. The Russian defense ministry confirmed to the Itar-Tass news agency that a Bulava ballistic missile test had failed.

"This cloud was very spectacular, and when we looked at the videos people submitted to the media, we quickly concluded that it looked like a rocket or missile out of control, thus the spiraling effect," Paal Brekke, a senior advisor at the Norwegian Space Centre Drammensvn, told SPACE.com. "I think this is the first time we have seen such a display from a launch failure."

The phenomenon was seen by people all over northern Norway.

"It was a fairly stunning display, and we were really surprised to see it so well observed," Brekke said.

Viewers described an eerie white cloud with a piercing blue-green beam coming out of it.

"It consisted initially of a green beam of light similar in color to the aurora with a mysterious rotating spiral at one end," Nick Banbury of Harstad, Norway told Spaceweather.com. "This spiral then got bigger and bigger until it turned into a huge halo in the sky with the green beam extending down to Earth."

Banbury said he saw the lights on his way to work between 7:50 and 8:00 a.m. local time, or 1:50 and 2:00 a.m. EST (0650 and 7000 GMT).

"We are used to seeing lots of auroras here in Norway, but this was different," he said.

Before the missile test was confirmed, many people suggested the bright light pattern might have been a UFO. Russia finally admitted to the accident, which is an embarrassing mishap for a rocket that had already failed six of 13 previous tests, according to the BBC.

The Bulava missile is designed to carry six individually targeted nuclear warheads over a range of 6,200 miles (10,000 km), the BBC reported.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/space/20091210/ ... ledmissile