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Giant 'white streak' appears over multiple US states as Chinese rocket dumps experimental fuel in space
- A giant 'white streak' appeared in the night sky over multiple U.S. states after a Chinese rocket dumped experimental fuel, creating an aurora-like light show.
- The streak emerged when the rocket released new fuel into space before burning up in Earth's upper atmosphere upon reentry.
- Photographers in Colorado and New Mexico captured stunning images of the luminous streak, which lasted around 10 minutes.
- The event coincided with a geomagnetic storm, leading some to mistake the streak for the aurora-like phenomenon known as STEVE.
- The Chinese Zhuque-2E rocket launched six satellites before creating the remarkable light show.
- Initial confusion about the streak's origin was clarified by astronomer Jonathan McDowell, who explained it was caused by a fuel dump from the rocket at around 155 miles altitude.
- The ejected fuel froze into tiny crystals that reflected sunlight, resulting in the bright streak seen in the night sky.
- Similar light shows occur with SpaceX's Falcon 9 rockets when fuel is dumped before re-entering the atmosphere, creating luminous whirlpools of light.
- The Zhuque-2E rocket uses a hybrid of liquid oxygen and liquid methane as fuel, different from traditional hydrogen or kerosene-based fuels.
- Methane is favored for rockets due to easy storage, clean burning properties, and potential production on other planets, making it suitable for space exploration.
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