Home / Weather News /

Mysterious object: Eerie blue spiral in Hawaii's sky

13:00
28 January 2023

Mysterious object
Eerie blue spiral in Hawaii's sky

Settings for external content

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 18th 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 editorial team
More on the topic
The image shows the ruins of a house on the left and the weather radar with thunderstorms over Sumatra on the right.
Wednesday, 3 December 2025

Heavy monsoon rain

Flood disaster on Sumatra
Weather map showing pink snowfall areas over the Great Lakes region. Snow showers are moving eastwards along the marked arrows. Several cities are affected by the snow bands.
Friday, 28 November 2025

Lake effect phenomenon

Heavy snow showers in northern USA
Temperature map showing maximum values at the beginning of next week and wind radar showing a storm system over the Atlantic that is directing mild air towards Europe
Thursday, 4 December 2025

Gusty in the UK & Ireland

Storms will soon bring spring air
All weather news
This might also interest you
Weather map of the UK and Ireland showing scattered showers with cloudy patches across much of the region, especially around western and northern areas. Sunshine symbols appear over London, Cardiff, and parts of southern England, while temperatures range from 17°C to 18°C in most places. Areas of heavier rain are visible over the Atlantic to the west.
Friday, 29 August 2025

Breakfast brief

Unsettled conditions into the weekend
Split weather map showing UK wind speeds in orange-red shades up to 40 mph on the left and warning levels in green-yellow on the right, with a central wind warning sign.
Wednesday, 22 October 2025

Warnings active

Storm Benjamin impacts the UK
Friday, 22 August 2025

Breakfast brief

Sunny start for some, overcast later
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

facebooktwittertikToklinkList