Wild scenes unfolded on Tuesday night as a Chinese rocket with a six-tonne satellite payload soared over Queensland and New South Wales, leaving Australians bewildered by a mysterious light in the sky.
Residents as far west as Mount Isa and as far south as the Hunter region were greeted by the same stunning sight. The object, captured by dozens of onlookers, was characterized by a brilliant mix of blue and white light as it barrelled through the sky.
Social Media Erupts
Social media lit up as the object made its way across Australian skies, with sightings reported as far northwest as Mount Isa and as far south as Tumut, just west of Canberra. A pair of women in Queensland's Gympie region documented their sighting, describing a white head pushing through with a tail and a veil of blue light and white mist behind it.
Rocket Launch Details
The object was a rocket launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in northern China at about 5:20 PM Australian time on Tuesday. Approximately 20 minutes later, it became visible over Queensland, according to University of Southern Queensland astrophysicist Jonti Horner.
Professor Horner explained that the rocket was so clearly visible because its height allowed it to be lit by the sun even though it was dark on the ground. “It got up to orbital altitude and it released some gas,” he said. “This cloud of gas was illuminated by the sun. Even though it was dark at ground level, this was high enough to be in sunlight.”
Turkish state media company Anadolu Ajansi reported that the rocket carried two satellites named Spacesail DTC01 and China Mobile 02, which were successfully sent into orbit. The rocket, named Zhuque-2E Y6, is part of a series developed for commercial satellite missions, according to Chinese authorities.
