Mysterious spiral and funky lights appear over Norway

[aphemix]

What's blue and white, squiggly and suddenly appears in the sky?

If you know the answer, pop it on a postcard and send it to the people of Norway, where this mysterious light display baffled residents yesterday.

Curiously, it appears to be unconnected with the aurora borealis, or northern lights, the natural magnetic phenomena that can often be viewed in that part of the world.

The mystery began when a blue light seemed to soar up from behind a mountain in the north of the country. It stopped mid-air, then began to move in circles. Within seconds a giant spiral had covered the entire sky. Then a green-blue beam of light shot out from its centre - lasting for ten to 12 minutes before disappearing completely.

Onlookers describing it as 'like a big fireball that went around, with a great light around it' and 'a shooting star that spun around and around'.

The Norwegian Meteorological Institute was flooded with telephone calls after the light storm.

Totto Eriksen, from Tromsø, told VG Nett: 'It spun and exploded in the sky,'

He spotted the lights as he walked his daughter Amalie to school.

He said: 'We saw it from the Inner Harbor in Tromsø. It was absolutely fantastic.

'It almost looked like a rocket that spun around and around and then went diagonally down the heavens.

'It looked like the moon was coming over the mountain, but then came something completely different.'

Celebrity astronomer Knut Jørgen Røed Ødegaard said he had never seen anything like the lights.

He said: 'My first thought was that it was a fireball meteor, but it has lasted far too long.

'It may have been a missile in Russia, but I can not guarantee that it is the answer.'

Air traffic control in Troms? claimed the light show lasted 'far too long to be an astronomical phenomenon'.

Norwegian defence spokesman Jon Espen Lien also said the lights were probably from a Russian missile test claiming it was normal for Russia to use the White Sea and the Barents Sea as a testing ground.

Troms? Geophysical Observatory researcher Truls Lynne Hansen agreed, saying the missile had likely veered out of control and exploded, and the spiral was light reflecting on the leaking fuel.

But the mystery deepened last night as Russia denied it had been conducting missile tests in the area.

A Moscow news outlet quoted the Russian Navy as denying any rocket launches from the White Sea area.

Norway should be informed of such launches under international agreements, it was stressed.

The Russian Defence Ministry was unavailable for comment.sauce (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1234430/Mystery-spiral-blue-light-display-hovers-Norway.html)

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[Jonah Davids]

That blue line thing looks like it's coming from the ground somewhere. I wonder if there's a way to tell where.

[pocohauntus]

Wow, is that true?

[aphemix]

seems like it's true enough. I mean, different sources are covering it, and videos exist.

it could've realistically been projected there holographically though.

[carbon cold]

For real? That's awesome. Secrets of the universe awesome.

[Infinityvers]

I don't like this as this looks like a clear hoax to me, and I want to say that I'm almost sure about it but can't say it as I have nothing to back that up except for others previously failed attempts in these directions.

But this might possibly be some experiments perhaps if this is real, but then only as some kind of a light show perhaps.

[aphemix]

I don't like this as this looks like a clear hoax to me, and I want to say that I'm almost sure about ityeah, same. As in, no natural phenomena explain it. It sure as fuck isn't a satellite entering the atmosphere like article comments are trying to say it is. And somehow I doubt it's a fucking missile. That doesn't mean it didn't appear over Norway though.

[Jonah Davids]

Actually, a rocket spewing fuel and going in a spiral after getting hit and/or malfunctions is a pretty plausible explanation.

[Ptah]

Damn, just after I kicked my fear of alien intruders to Earth...

[Faust06]

It does kind of look "constructed". I'm not sure what to think of it. Hope to hear more developments on it.. if it's a hoax, it may not be the last you'll see of it.

[cripple]

Probably the Russians, they do all kind of stuff out there in the north sea. And you cant believe a word of what they say.

[Infinityvers]

... it could've realistically been projected there holographically though.

Yes this sure sounds like a plausible explanation or something in that direction as this looks like a scene from a movie but not something real.

Although something fantastic happens, it's often not visible, as it can't be reflected as much as natural phenomena. From the looks of it, this looks like breaking the "rule" and seem just to be a projection of some kind.

[stuck]

missile test (http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20091210/sc_afp/russianorwaymilitarymissile)

Another tinfoil hat unceremoniously sliced off the head by occam's razor.

[DoomBagel]

It's Captain Nemo back from his watery grave.