Home
Weather Dublin
WeatherRadar
RainfallRadar
TemperatureRadar
WindRadar
LightningRadar
Weather News
Editor's Pick
Discover the app
Weather widget
Contact us
Apps
    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

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
Both chilly and mild overnight. Temperature split. . . Thursday 15 October 2026
Temperature map showing 4°C near Aberdeen, 7°C in Dublin, 10°C in Liverpool, and 15°C in London, with blue and red thermometer symbols indicating cold and mild areas.
Thursday 15 October 2026

Temperature split

Both chilly and mild overnight
Former hurricane to record storm. Isaias affecting Europe. . . Wednesday 14 October 2026
WindRadar shows a powerful storm system south-west of Iceland. Red and purple colours indicate extreme wind speeds. Arrows show the direction of rotation, whilst a windsock symbol warns of a storm.
Wednesday 14 October 2026

Isaias affecting Europe

Former hurricane to record storm
Severe weather hits Turkey and Greece. Torrential rain and storms. . Weather Videos. Thursday 15 October 2026
On the left, a yellow bus is submerged in deep floodwater. On the right, the weather radar shows numerous thunderstorms over Greece and Turkey. Warning symbols indicate flooding and thunderstorms.
Weather VideosThursday 15 October 2026

Torrential rain and storms

Severe weather hits Turkey and Greece
All weather news
This might also interest you
A frozen start to the weekend. Icy conditions. . . Friday 13 February 2026
UK temperature map dated 14.02 showing widespread subzero values in blue shading, with readings such as −4 in Glasgow, −3 in Dublin, and −2 in London, alongside a blue thermometer icon.
Friday 13 February 2026

Icy conditions

A frozen start to the weekend
Bright and warm conditions take hold. Spring-like outlook. . . Thursday 23 April 2026
Split UK map showing warm temperatures up to 21 degrees in orange on the left and clear sunny conditions with temperatures from 12 to 18 degrees on the right, with sun icons across the country.
Thursday 23 April 2026

Spring-like outlook

Bright and warm conditions take hold
Seasonal warmth between spring thunder. Your weather - Your shots. . . Sunday 19 April 2026
Split image showing coastal sunset with layered lenticular clouds over rooftops and palm trees on the left, and a green valley with river and hills under soft daylight on the right.
Sunday 19 April 2026

Your weather - Your shots

Seasonal warmth between spring thunder
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

facebooktwitteryouTubelinkList