A Falcon 9 SpaceX rocket launched from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Monday punched a hole in the planet’s ionosphere as it carried 15 Starlink satellites into orbit.
The incident resulted in there being a red aurora-like glow in the night sky above California this week. However, this wasn’t the first time a SpaceX rocket has done this, as another Falcon 9 launch did the same thing a few weeks ago.
The rocket’s exhaust fumes reacted with the Earth’s ionosphere, which temporarily created a hole in the layer of ionized gasses.
The ionosphere is the upper layer of the atmosphere and is anywhere from 50 to 400 miles above the Earth’s surface, NASA shared.
Inside the gas layer are ions that glow red or green during the aurora as they react with the solar wind and radiation from solar flares, according to NASA. The ionosphere is important for radio communications as it reflects radio signals.
The exhaust from the rocket, which is mainly water and carbon dioxide, can alter the layer’s ionization. As the rocket passes through the layer, the exhaust can result in a 70% drop in ionization in the area, resulting in the hole being formed.
The holes are easy to see, as the red glow plays the role of the smoking gun, showing where the oxygen ions and rocket exhaust reacted.
Photos of the spectacle were shared on social media by those in California who caught a glimpse of the lights.
Professor of earth sciences at National Cheng Kung University, Charles Lin, spoke with Newsweek about the rocket, sharing that this will continue to be more common as space travel increases.
“Humans are entering an era that rocket launches are becoming usual and frequent due to reduced cost by reusable rockets,” Lin said. “Meanwhile, humans are developing more powerful rockets to send cargo to other planets. These two factors will gradually affect the middle and upper atmosphere more, and that is worthwhile to pay some attention to.”
For those who are worried, Lin noted that the holes usually close up as the layers return to their normal levels of ionization.
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