Fuel dump from a booster rocket that put a satellite into orbit?
Taken by Marketa S Murray on September 9, 2016 @
Fairbanks - Alaska
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Details:
We were chasing Aurora, but didn't have so much luck.Then suddenly this occurs behind hill.
Guess from Dr. Neal Brown is that I captured the results of a fuel dump from a booster rocket that put a satellite into orbit.
The use multi-stage rockets to put a satellite into orbit. They often shut down the upper stage because they have reached the orbit they want. Weeks, maybe months later, when the upper stage booster and satellite are far apart, then vent the fuel, which typically causes an expanding cloud as the rocket fuel oxides with atomic oxygen in the upper atmosphere. Many similar sightings have occurred over the middle of the United States for satellites put into equatorial orbit. My guess is that what you saw was the result of putting a polar orbiting satellite up.
Photographer's website:
http://www.AlaskaAuroraCam.com
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