The Long March 6A rocket launch occurred on October 23 from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in Shanxi Province. Following the liftoff, residents across several Chinese regions, including Hebei, Shandong, and Hainan, reported seeing a glowing, jellyfish-shaped cloud in the sky.
The mission successfully placed the Yaogan-50-03 remote sensing satellite into orbit. These satellites are designed to collect data for Earth surface mapping, agricultural monitoring, and disaster mitigation efforts. The Long March 6 series rockets are regularly launched from the Taiyuan facility.
Experts attribute the visual phenomenon to the expansion of rocket exhaust gases at high altitudes. As these gases reach the upper atmosphere, they are illuminated by the Sun, even after sunset on the ground. The interaction between sunlight, ice crystals, and particles in the thin atmosphere creates the distinctive shapes observed.
