Cosmic Climate Change: Space Shuttle Discovery - STS 131 leaves spectacular dragon trails in the sky

Spaceweather.com
Mon, 05 Apr 2010 17:31 UTC

Space shuttle Discovery left Earth this morning at 6:21 am EDT in a spectacular dawn launch from Cape Canaveral. The combination of sunrise colors and the comet-like appearance of the departing shuttle astonished onlookers. "It was an awesome sight," says Michael Fertic, who sends this picture from Spring Hill, Florida:

The show continued even after the shuttle was out of sight. Tiny ice crystals in Discovery's lingering exhaust caught the rays of the rising sun and formed an artificial noctilucent cloud of startling brightness. Even veteran observers were impressed. "It was the most incredible launch I have ever seen," says long-time shuttle watcher and part-time NASA medic Dr. Mark Staples of Shands Hospital. "Definitely, it was one of the most spectacular!" agreed Jim Burchfield of nearby St. Cloud, Florida. And Terry Allshouse of Leesburg, Florida, ranked it as "the best of the ten I have witnessed." More images of the launch from photographers:

© Mark Staples"Unbelievable display of color, motion, and rocket weather. The glow of booster ignition, comet-like trail of the orbiter, and upper wind deformation of the vapor trail with changing light conditions made for the most incredible launch I have ever seen." The photographer's reference to this looking like a 'comet-trail' is a clue to why this launch was so spectacular: the skies overhead are laden with comet dust. This is also why so many 'chemtrails' leave exhaust from jet planes 'suspended' after the plane has long passed.

Comment: Remember this?

The Russian ICBM launch failed, forcing the rocket into a spin as it burned through the atmosphere.

The meteor that turned night into day in Utah, Idaho and Nevada last November left a "noctilucent", or night-shining trail suspended in the space-dust laden sky, which high altitude winds later twisted into this spaghetti formation:

Reader Comments

Laura · 2010-04-06T08:04:17Z

Wow!

No wonder the ancients created legends about dragons in the sky! That's probably what they were seeing: comet trails in a cold upper atmosphere laden with dust and ice crystals!

Gilgamesh · 2010-04-06T13:36:19Z

doubtful

the pictures are indeed stunning, but no evidence is offered to suggest why the comet dust is responsible for these.

also, "chemtrails" arent lingering in the sky because of comet dust.

ive witnessed and have pictures of planes high in the sky with a contrail that stays the same length close behind the plane, at the same time a lower flying plane is leaving an ever expanding chemtrail.

why would the comet dust leave the high flying plane alone? i believe this is grasping a bit.

Ruth · 2010-04-07T03:09:37Z

Probably because

There's not enough of it yet to become so obvious. Early days? Or, just the begining?

adam7117 · 2010-04-07T07:58:23Z

Well...

...actually I saw something "funny" on the way back to Brisbane from a camping trip. The "it" was a plane flying south with the most bizarre tail I've ever seen.

The tail was expanding and thick, you could even see turbulence in the contrail. The setting sun gave the whole thing a bizarre glow - very much like in the above pictures. Initially, I thought it was a fireball heading in our direction!

I figure the dust is not uniform because this isn't a daily event here. But for whatever reason the conditions were just right at that moment.

Just keep looking up.

Oooh, to be a fly on the wall at that creatures house. Is that how you hold your hands when you are untouchable and filthy rich?

Michael L

John Walsh, a professor of physiology. In my view, this article is pretty empty of any real insight. The simplest view, "All wars are bankers...

Dwoods44

Now what has Boris (Johnson) The Clown done?

eulogical

She's batshit crazy, delusional, a war criminal and needs to be locked up somewhere where the key is lost.

Voodmon2

Thou shall make war by deception. Kharzarian Mafia’s creed

VooDoo6

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Cosmic Climate Change: Space Shuttle Discovery - STS 131 leaves spectacular dragon trails in the sky

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