Mystery spiral in Australian Sky

[Jeff]

Early-morning UFO mystery

June 05, 2010 12:15PM

DOZENS of people across Australia have reported what they believe to be a UFO sighting early this morning.

The Sunday Herald Sun has been contacted by people living in Melbourne, New South Wales and Queensland after seeing a bright light in the sky about 5am.

The light was making a spiral formation and could be seen heading west.

“It was really weird,” early-riser Matt said.

Matt had been fishing with friends in Werribee South and saw the light as they were coming back from their early morning out on Port Phillip Bay.

“We tried to take photos with our phones but all you could see was black,” he said.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/early- ... 5875811660

[Jeff]

UFO spotted over eastern Australia

An astronomer says a bright spiralling light spotted in the sky by people across eastern Australia this morning was probably a satellite, space junk or a rocket.

The UFO was seen moving through the sky just before sunrise in New South Wales, Queensland and the ACT.

ABC News Online has received dozens of emails, pictures and videos from those who were awe-stricken by the huge white light.

Some described it as a "lollipop-type swirl". Others say it hovered for a while before gradually moving in an eastern direction until it was out of sight. Those who saw the object say photos do not reflect how large it actually was.

Geoffrey Whyatt from the Sydney Observatory says it was probably a satellite, space junk or a rocket.

"The fact that you've got the rotation, the spiral effect, is very reminiscent of the much widely reported sightings from Norway and Russia last year, which both turned out to be a Bulava missile which was being adjusted in its orbit," he said.

"So possibly a rocket, I would say, having some sort of gyroscopic stability rocket fired on its side."

...

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010 ... ion=justin

[Nordic]

Yeah, just space junk nothing to see here, move along.

Hm, let's see, I've been on this earth for 48 years and have never before heard of, or seen reported, such a thing, yet here in the last few months we've had two of them?

Something really really weird is going on.

[smiths]

yeah, it was a rocket, the russians were testing ... ummm, maybe the new zealanders? tongans?

[Gouda]

Paypal payload?

[Peregrine]

[jingofever]

Falcon 9/Dragon makes spectacular pass over Australia:

The first pass of the SpaceX Falcon9/Dragon satellite over the east coast of Australia before dawn today gave rise to widespread UFO sightings.

This YouTube video was made on a beach at the Gold Coast.

The rocket was leaking fuel and rotating, creating a halo effect similar in some respects to this spectacular ‘pinwheel’ over Norway last year from a failed Russian missile test.

SpaceX reported an anomaly just before the Dragon payload, attached to the second stage of the Falcon 9, reached its programmed shut down on attaining its target orbit.

The camera mounted above the second stage engine captured a rotation that didn’t affect the orbital insertion, but wasn’t in the launch plan either.

The Dragon may still be venting and rotating. There aren’t yet any orbital predictions on the usual sites, and they may be affected by velocity changes caused by residual gas escapes.

[Iamwhomiam]

This may have been a rocket gone astray, but I really have no idea what it is.

However, due to the earth's west to east rotation, (clockwise as seen from the south pole) most rockets have that same trajectory, but Jeff's post says "The light was making a spiral formation and could be seen heading west."

I doubt a rocket traveling at several thousand miles per hour eastward could suddenly reverse its course. Especially not one SpaceX declared a success, launching its payload.

Even a falling satellite would travel in this same direction.

The SpaceX rocket was launched from Canaveral and early press releases claimed it to be a success.

[anothershamus]

So there have been rockets for years. Why have spirals just popped up. You would think there would be accounts of them from times past. Not necessarily photos or video but at least accounts of spirals. i have followed UFO sightings for years and don't recall any spiral sightings.

However if you go further back you get lots of spiral accounts via the rock carvings. Maybe there are interesting things afoot:

[Simulist]

So there have been rockets for years. Why have spirals just popped up.

I think that's a fair question.

Before I propose this idea, I should admit that I have started watching Fringe, and Walter Bishop may be affecting my thinking — even if ever so slightly. (Hmm. I'm having a sudden craving for a cheese steak and a root beer float... Weird. Anyway...)

Even though I went to an American public high school, I was able to note that Norway and Australia are roughly on opposite sides of the earth.

Does anyone suppose that the lavishly funded Pentagon could be working on a means of transit between those two points? (Or any two "somewhat" antipodal points?)

Just a thought.

[anothershamus]

So there have been rockets for years. Why have spirals just popped up.

I think that's a fair question.

Before I propose this idea, I should admit that I have started watching Fringe, and Walter Bishop may be affecting my thinking — even if ever so slightly. (Hmm. I'm having a sudden craving for a cheese steak and a root beer float... Weird. Anyway...)

Even though I went to an American public high school, I was able to note that Norway and Australia are roughly on opposite sides of the earth.

Does anyone suppose that the lavishly funded Pentagon could be working on a means of transit between those two points? (Or any two "somewhat" antipodal points?)

Just a thought.

Perhaps it's a thing like the toilet flushing counterclockwise instead of clockwise, eh?

[Simulist]

Perhaps it's a thing like the toilet flushing counterclockwise instead of clockwise, eh?

You know, there's truth in that analogy on so many different levels.