Mysterious phenomenon last night - reports from several cities

 

The space

 
Globe of light over Sweden - reports from several cities

Nelly Kronstrand,

Hans Österman

Updated 02.15 | Published 00.45

Outside Lidingö in Stockholm, Svea Rydholm, 15, and Hanna Friberg, 15, photographed the light phenomenon. Photo: Reader image

The light grew stronger, stronger, and stronger before suddenly disappearing into the night-black sky.

The phenomenon could be seen in large parts of Sweden at midnight.

- It was super cool, says Claes Envall, 43, from Forshaga.

Shortly before midnight on the night of Saturday, many witnesses contacted Aftonbladet. They sent pictures from all over Sweden: Kalix, Ljusdal, Forshaga, Hallstavik, Stockholm, Södertälje, Lysekil, Kungshamn, Trollhättan and Klippan.

Everyone had seen the same thing: A mysterious light phenomenon that dissolved the sky.

- The boy and I were lying outside looking at constellations when we suddenly saw it. It was really strong, it was super cool, says Claes Envall.

Claes Envall and son Leo, 14, saw the light phenomenon. Photo: Private

"So lucky"

Claes Envall and his son Leo, 14, have a tradition in August of picking out blankets and pillows to look at the starry sky for an evening.

At first they thought they witnessed a satellite.

- But no, it probably wasn't. The light grew stronger and stronger and stronger. We were so lucky. We will probably never see something like this again in our lives, says Claes Envall.

         
The light phenomenon could be seen in Kalix. Photo: Reader image
 

Friends' shock

Hanna Friberg, 15, from Stockholm also witnessed the light phenomenon - all the way from Duvholmen outside Lidingö.

- I'm at my friend's house right now. Her parents shouted that they saw something very strange in the sky. Then we ran to the window and saw the light. It was really weird.

Hanna Friberg describes that the phenomenon moved slowly across the sky.

- I kind of thought it was a UFO or an airplane. No, it was very strange light. I don't really understand what it was.

Researcher: It was

Space scientist Eric Stempels at Uppsala University has the answer.

The light was - like at the end of May - the result of a rocket launch by SpaceX from the Vanderberg space base in California earlier in the evening.

- The hourglass-like shape, as well as the fact that the phenomenon was visible for more than a minute, is revealing, he says.

What is seen in the sky is a rocket step on its way back to earth.

- In the Pacific Ocean there are certain areas without islands where they try to let rocket stages fall back to earth. Most of it then burns up in the atmosphere. All this is done to avoid creating space junk unnecessarily.

Therefore, it was seen across Sweden

That the ball of light was visible over Sweden is no coincidence, according to Eric Stempels:

- In order for rockets in polar orbit from California to fall into the Pacific Ocean, the deceleration needs to take place over Scandinavia. We will see more similar phenomena in the future.

The hourglass shape seen in the pictures has its explanation.

- It comes from seeing a funnel-shaped cloud of exhaust gases or steam from a side angle. The fuel burns in or near the rocket. What we see is sunlight scattered in the cloud.

tFriends Svea Rydholm, 15, and Hanna Friberg, 15, witness the light phenomenon. Photo: Private