“Space Jellyfish” Appears in China

A bright “space jellyfish” that appeared in the sky following another launch of China’s “Long March 6A” carrier rocket amazed local residents.

The unusual glowing trail appeared after the rocket lifted off from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center on October 23 and was clearly visible in several provinces, including Shanxi, Hebei, Shandong and Hainan.

The “Yaogan-50–03” observation satellite, placed into orbit by the “Long March 6A”, is intended for important tasks such as land surveying, monitoring agricultural crop yields and helping to prevent natural disasters.

According to experts, the glowing jellyfish-like shape is created when gases and water vapor released by the rocket’s engines at high altitude are illuminated by sunlight.