A mysterious white light appeared over Colorado and other parts of the US on Saturday, May 17, 2025, initially mistaken for a rare atmospheric phenomenon. The light resembled a giant spotlight cutting through the aurora-filled sky. Photographer Mike Lewinski captured the event from Crestone, Colorado, describing it as a bright beam reminiscent of a rocket re-entering Earth's atmosphere.
It was later confirmed that the light was caused by the upper stage of a Chinese Zhuque-2 rocket. The Zhuque-2E Y2 carrier rocket blasted off at 12:12 p.m. (0412 GMT) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, marking the fifth flight for the Zhuque-2 series, according to a company statement. The rocket, launched by Landscape from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, was carrying six satellites into orbit.
According to astronomer Jonathan McDowell, the white light resulted from fuel venting at an altitude of approximately 250km. This event highlights how rocket launches can create unusual and sometimes confusing celestial phenomena. Similar incidents have occurred with SpaceX Falcon 9 launches, producing blue spirals mistaken for UFOs.