Rocket Fuel Glow: Ireland's Sky Lights Up with SpaceX Spectacle!

On Wednesday night, a mysterious bright light appeared in the skies over County Kildare, Ireland, catching the attention of many people. Social media was filled with posts describing the glowing object, with some saying it had a 'halo' and moved at different speeds. The sighting was not limited to just one area; people from Portglenone in County Antrim to County Kildare in the Republic of Ireland shared their experiences online, wondering what could have caused such a strange phenomenon.

Experts quickly weighed in to explain the likely source of the light. According to them, the object was probably debris from a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, which had been launched from Florida earlier that day. SpaceX, owned by Elon Musk, operates satellites for Starlink, a global telecommunications service. When rockets are launched, they sometimes need to get rid of extra fuel. This fuel is ejected, freezes in the cold upper atmosphere, and then reflects sunlight back to Earth, creating a bright light that can be seen from the ground. The reported path of the rocket matches the locations where the light was spotted, supporting the experts' theory.

Leo Enright, a well-known space commentator, explained that releasing excess fuel from rockets is a standard safety practice. If the fuel is kept inside the rocket, it could explode and create dangerous debris. By ejecting the fuel, space companies reduce the risk of accidents. Mr Enright also pointed out that lighting conditions play a big role in whether people notice these events. Sometimes, clouds or the position of the sun make it hard to see such lights. Ireland is especially likely to witness these occurrences because it is often directly under the flight path of rockets launched from Cape Canaveral in Florida. This week, County Mayo is hosting discussions about light pollution and possible solutions. The BBC has reached out to AirNav Ireland for comments on the event.