Overview

• A bright beam of light observed on May 16–17 across multiple western U.S. states was initially misidentified as an aurora or atmospheric phenomenon.
• Astronomers Tony Phillips and Jonathan McDowell traced the light to a methane-fueled Zhuque-2E Y2 rocket launched by Chinese company LandSpace Technology.
• The rocket, launched from northwest China, released unburned fuel during a deorbit burn over the Four Corners area, creating the luminous cloud.
• This event highlights the increasing visibility of human-made atmospheric effects from modern rocket launches and new propulsion technologies like methalox.
• Observers and social media users played a key role in documenting and speculating about the phenomenon before experts provided clarification.