Another Northern Light

[adrian]

Anyone for some Arctic roll? Mystery as spiral blue light display hovers above Norway
What's blue and white, squiggly and suddenly appears in the sky?

If you know the answer, pop it on a postcard and send it to the people of Norway, where this mysterious light display baffled residents yesterday.

Speculation was increasing today that the display was the result of an embarrassing failed test launch of a jinxed new Russian missile.

The Bulava missile was test-fired from the Dmitry Donskoi submarine in the White Sea early on Wednesday but failed at the third stage, say newspapers in Moscow today.

This emerged despite earlier reports denying a missile launch yesterday. Even early today there was no formal confirmation from the Russian Defence Ministry.

The light appears to be unconnected with the aurora borealis, or northern lights, the natural magnetic phenomena that can often be viewed in that part of the world.

The mystery began when a blue light seemed to soar up from behind a mountain in the north of the country. It stopped mid-air, then began to move in circles. Within seconds a giant spiral had covered the entire sky.

Then a green-blue beam of light shot out from its centre - lasting for ten to 12 minutes before disappearing completely.

Onlookers describing it as 'like a big fireball that went around, with a great light around it' and 'a shooting star that spun around and around'.

Yesterday a Norwegian defence spokesman said the display was most likely from a failed Russian test launch.

Tromsō Geophysical Observatory researcher Truls Lynne Hansen agreed, saying the missile had likely veered out of control and exploded, and the spiral was light reflecting on the leaking fuel.

But last night Russia denied it had been conducting missile tests in the area.

A Moscow news outlet quoted the Russian Navy as denying any rocket launches from the White Sea area.

Norway should be informed of such launches under international agreements, it was stressed.

However this morning media reports claimed a missile had indeed been launched from the White Sea. Test firings are usually made from the White Sea, close to the Norwegian Arctic region.

Kommersant newspaper reported today that a test-firing before dawn on Wednesday coincided with the light show in the northern sky.

It also emerged today that Russia last week formally notified Norway of a window when a missile test might be carried out.

Full report, including photos and video:
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/wo...-spiral-blue-light-display-hovers-Norway.html

 

[davel]

It was a Russian missile (Bulava) failure. A simulation as to how the particular pattern in the sky could be formed can be found here:
https://www.youtube.com/user/unmannedspaceflight#p/a/u/0/Zx8i5EfmYU4

 

[Scott Evil]

A Bulava failure! Are you kidding?

The Timex I bought my wife can't even keep the days right! (Day of month starts at 00 and ends at 39).

How could anybody call a large scale Soviet Scalar Electromagnetic Resonance Swirly Twirly Ionispheric Gumdrop Plasma Weapon (with Bonus Beam mind you) in full view of a NOBEL audience a failure?

Has anyone checked to see if The Onion originally "broke" this story?

...All kidding aside, whoever/whatever pulled it off to THIS scale has my kudos regardless. Can't wait to read into what does or does not come to light regarding this story.

 

[shrox]

The video was kind of spooky, it did look like a portal opening up or something!

The white spiral looks like the first stage exhaust plume, then the blue helix is the second stage firing away from the view of the images.