[Identified] Ariane Launch Lights up the Sky

Enigma Collection

Europe’s Ariane 6 heavy rocket completed its third launch, carrying the Metop-SGA1 weather satellite into orbit in a stunning display that was visible across much of the U.S. Many Enigma skywatchers reported the spectacle.

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On Tuesday, the Ariane 6 rocket launch lit up the skies. Launched on behalf of the European Space Agency from French Guiana, Ariane 6 took a rare polar orbit, passing over the northern United States during its fuel dump. This type of orbit, which circles each pole, is what made the spectacle visible as far north as Quebec. Most rocket launches follow an equatorial orbit and are typically seen near the equator. This unusual trajectory, combined with many people already outside scanning the skies for the Perseid meteor shower, led to a wave of sightings on the Enigma platform as surprised stargazers captured the event.

Quotes Swipe to explore select eyewitness testimony:

Watching the meteor shower when this bright ball appeared to the west, moved around through the cloudless sky but this "swirling" cloud followed it wherever it went. It descended lower in the sky and just disappeared.

Royersford, PA

Enigma #318402

Outside me and my friend were looking for the meteor shower around where I live and saw a swirling vortex with a light in the center it was moving slowly over the tree tops in the sky when we saw it it really made my hair stand up it lasted about a half hour before completely disappearing there aren't any rocket launches close to were I live in Dorchester County so I honestly don't know what to think about it

Cambridge, MD

Enigma #318433

We were driving along the I95 when we saw it on the north side. It was an Unmoving white light in the sky that was brighter than everything else around it. It has a strange halo of light around it, like a pulsar star. I looked down to look up what it was and when I looked back up it was lower in the sky. Some trees popped up in front of it and when we got to another point where we could see it it was gone

Branford, CT

Enigma #318399

Hunting Perseids and this object appeared to the East moving south to north. No acrobatics, just a steady momentum. Barbell shape with plumes that seemed to grow as it moved. No sound. Steady light in barbell shape with no blinking.

Coon Rapids, MN

Enigma #318448

We were looking for meteors and saw a very bright slow moving object in the southern sky and watched it move slowly with two equal plumes of gas on either side and a bright straight bar of light in the middle. The object slowly moved to the north and disappeared towards the horizon.

Madison, WI

Enigma #318405

My partner and I were walking home when we noticed a strange, slow moving light in the sky. I first thought it was the moon because of how bright it was but then I realized that it was moving. Upon closer inspection, it appeared to be a horizontal band of light with an aura or halo of light emanating from it. The effect was similar to a fan spinning and you could see the after images of the blades spinning. The object continued moving in a downward direction from the sky until we lost sight of it behind some trees and houses in the neighborhood.

Dorchester, MA

Enigma #318425

I was walking back to our vacation rental and was looking to see if the sky was clear enough to see the meteor shower and I saw what I first thought was a star with a sort of partial halo around it. I stopped and watched it and it didn’t move. I realized that it was brighter than the other stars and also oddly shaped. I stood and looked at it for a couple minutes before going into the house to show my family but when we went back outside it was gone.

Pentwater, MI

Enigma #318485