Newsletter: Advisory on "Space Jellyfish” sighting on May 12

[THIS IS A PRESS RELEASE]

(Photo credit: Rachiel Batutay Bolaljog)

The lights sighted over parts of the Philippines on the evening of 12 May 2026, at around 8:10PM PhST, are highly likely due to the passage of the Long March 6A (Chang Zheng 6A) rocket launched by the People's Republic of China from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center at approximately 7:58 PM PhST.

 

The phenomenon is commonly called a "space jellyfish", which occurs when a rocket's exhaust plume, released at high altitudes, is directly illuminated by sunlight while observers on the ground remain in darkness. The expanding plume fans out in the thin upper atmosphere and scatters sunlight, creating a luminous, jellyfish-like glow visible over wide areas during twilight conditions.

 

Unlike recent rocket launches from China's coastal spaceports, no debris drop zones from this launch were projected over Philippine territory or waters.

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