In China, reports of a mysterious UFO have sparked widespread intrigue, particularly among residents in Beijing and nearby towns. Witnesses described the enigmatic object as a moving cloud-like formation adorned with three distinct light sources.
Mystery in the Skies: Unidentified Flying Object Stuns China, Sparks Social Media Frenzy
Social media began buzzing with posts and photographs after people witnessed an unidentified flying object in the sky shortly after 6 pm. The incident swiftly went viral, inundating Chinese social media platforms with a deluge of images and videos showcasing the peculiar sighting.
With over 900,000 threads emerging online on Monday afternoon, January 15, the phenomenon has ignited fervent discussions, leaving many curious about the nature of the "misty ball of light" that silently traversed the skies from west to east.
One observer provided a detailed account, mentioning the clear weather in Beijing and describing the glowing object as non-flashing and looming, shaped like an isosceles triangle with three light sources. The luminous entity dissipated like mist and vanished without a trace, leaving witnesses puzzled by the strange occurrence.
Reports of the UFO extended beyond Beijing, reaching locations such as Tianjin, Shanxi, and Shandong. Descriptions consistently referred to the object as a rapid, soundless, misty ball of light moving from west to east. Notably, witnesses emphasized the absence of flashing lights, ruling out the possibility of it being an ordinary plane.
On the social media platform Weibo, another user described three fast-flying light sources accompanied by a large halo on the east side, all without any sound. A Beijing resident expressed astonishment at the sudden appearance and high-speed movement of the unidentified object, leaving many questioning the nature of the phenomenon.
Are They Aliens or Just a SpaceX Rocket?
An astronomer proposes that the unidentified object may have been a space rocket used in the launch of SpaceX's Starlink satellites on Sunday, January 14. Despite this intriguing suggestion, no confirmation has been provided as of yet.
Wang Zhuoxiao, a researcher at the Centre for Astronomy Technology at Tsinghua University in Beijing, shared his speculation online, proposing that the glowing object might be excess fuel released by a SpaceX rocket launched from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
Zhuoxiao aligned his statements with the "Twilight phenomenon," explaining how unburned particles of propellant and water in the vapor trail of a launch vehicle can condense, freeze, and then expand in the upper atmosphere, creating a distinctive circular shape.
The researcher further elaborated that the circular form could result from the rocket's tumbling motion as it released unnecessary fuel to aid its ascent to orbit. Drawing parallels with a similar sighting in China on September 13, 2023, linked to a rocket cloud from a previous SpaceX launch, the astronomer emphasized the recurring nature of such events.
Notably, instances of SpaceX rockets creating luminous phenomena in the night sky have been observed in New Zealand in 2022, where a glowing blue swirl resulted from a Falcon 9 booster venting fuel during a rocket spin.
Despite these intriguing parallels, the recent event in China remains unconfirmed in its association with a SpaceX rocket. The lack of verification leaves the nature of the mysterious object still open to speculation and further investigation.
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