Many people took to social media on Sunday 23 June 2024, to share photos and videos of a strange white balloon and a white line trailing behind it, in the sky.
According to Prof. Joseph Borg, it wasn’t an Unidentified Flying Object.
It was SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket releasing a satellite train into space, which could be seen from Maltese skies.
These clouds - called 'SpaceX nebula' - and a white line were spotted a couple of hours after Elon Musk's SpaceX completed another launch from the West Coast in the US: the Falcon 9 (a reusable rocket) launched more Starlink mini-satellites into space.
Starlink is a satellite internet constellation that provides global mobile broadband.
Prof. Borg explained that the white line was the satellites being released into space. If they are seen soon after release and are still close together, they appear as a straight line. The later they are seen, he said, the more dispersed they get.
The cloud could also be deployment debris. During the deployment of satellites, small particles or ice crystals might be released, forming a temporary cloud around the satellite constellation.
Another option is satellite reflections. The satellites’ solar panels and other reflective surfaces can sometimes create a visual effect that looks like a cloud, especially if the sunlight hits them at a particular angle.
The cloud could also be due to atmospheric effects. High-altitude atmospheric conditions can sometimes create optical illusions or enhance the visibility of the satellite train, making it cloud-like.
