SPACE ODDITY
MYSTERIOUS SKY CIRCLES OVER N.WALES THAT APPEARED AT SAME TIME AS NORTHERN LIGHTS
SOCIAL media has been awash with photos of last week’s stunning Aurora Borealis displays.
But some people who grabbed their cameras and ran outside found something a little different in the night skies above North Wales.
Photographers who waited patiently for weeks for the right atmospheric conditions were rewarded on Sunday and Monday nights with vibrant displays of the Northern Lights.
The resulting images prompted others to look heavenwards - and some people captured something very peculiar.
Right along the North Wales coast, from Anglesey to the England border, photos have emerged of strange rings of light in the skies. After being shared on social media, they were the prelude to an inevitable stampede of UFO memes and GIFS.
First to ask for an explanation was Tina Louise, who spotted something unusual over Penmaenmawr, Conwy, on the Tuesday night.
A photo of another circular array was then volunteered by Heledd Huws, who’d seen it over her house on Anglesey.
A third feature was photographed by Graham Quinn in the skies above Chester. This was different,
resembling a horseshoeshaped cloud. “It’s certainly a bit odd,” agreed Tina.
Strings of lights often seen in the night sky are groups of Starlink satellites, part of a broadband constellation operated by Spacex. But the displays witnessed this week were not linear and so are unlikely to be connected.
Tuesday night was cloudier than Sunday and this may have some bearing on what was seen.
Clouds provide a canvas onto which light patterns can be beamed: lights from nightclubs, sports arenas and even airports can be the causes of otherwise inexplicable night sky phenomena.
The Chester sighting was different and may have an alternative explanation. A chemtrail? Possibly. Space junk? Unlikely. Graham likes to think it may have been Casper the Friendly Ghost, the loveable film and storybook character.
Luminous tendrils of light seen at night can be the result of noctilucent clouds. These are clouds that glow at night when the sun is below the horizon but still illuminate the upper atmosphere.
Or perhaps the social media GIFS inadvertently nailed the real culprits: that the super bright Aurora Borealis was like a neon welcome sign for some extraterrestrial visitors ....