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Earlier this week, a mysterious flying whirlpool was spotted over the Maunakea Observatories in Hawaii. While many speculated about whether it was a UFO or a wormhole, astronomers have offered another explanation.

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This mysterious flying whirlpool isn’t extraterrestrial

Dr. Marco Langbroek, a technical advisor at the Leiden University astronomy department says the spiral-shaped flying whirlpool isn’t a UFO. Instead, it’s the post-deorbit-burn fuel vent from the upper stage of a SpaceX rocket launched that same day.

The rocket in question launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. Dr. Langbroek, who is also an author at the SatTrackCam blog, says the deorbit of the rocket’s upper stage hit over the Pacific Ocean. The spiral flying whirlpool is a characteristic mark of the rocket’s post-deorbit burn.

While the identity of the mysterious flying whirlpool isn’t exciting as if it was a UFO, it’s still an intriguing site. To see the de-orbit-burn creating such a spectacular spiral is yet another reminder of just how amazing our recent pushes into space have been. This particular rocket was used to launch a NROL-85 spacecraft, which is a spy satellite for the National Reconnaissance Office.

Unidentified flying objects in the sky

While the flying whirlpool sighting is exciting, it’s not really a UFO. As such, while it might look mysterious at first, the anomaly is completely normal.

Still, there is something exciting about the prospect of a UFO creating such an effect. Many people spend years of their lives looking for signs that alien life has come to Earth. We’ve previously seen reports of supposed UFOs submerged in the ocean. This isn’t the first time people have mistaken SpaceX debris for a UFO, either.

(editor：)