What caused the 'jellyfish lights' that appeared over parts of the Philippines Saturday night?
Last weekend, the Philippine Space Agency reported the sighting of orange-yellow lights that appeared over some areas in the Philippines. From the ground, the lights looked like a sea creature having a swim across the night sky.
The explanation, however, was based more on science than fantasy.
According to the PSA, the lights likely appeared "due to the passage of the Jielong-3 rocket launched by the People's Republic of China from the South China Sea at approximately 7:32 p.m. PhST."
Producing a "common" visual phenomenon, the rocket's exhaust plume resembled what the PSA called a "space jellyfish." When a rocket's fumes are released at high altitudes, the sun illuminates the plumes directly.
"The expanding plume fans out in the thin upper atmosphere and scatters sunlight, creating a luminous, jellyfish-like glow visible over wide areas during twilight conditions," explained PSA.
The "space jellyfish" was seen in the sky on the evening of April 11.
Social media posts showed users recording the phenomenon in Quezon, Cebu, Palawan, Tarlac, Zambales, Pangasinan, and Las Piñas.
