On 24 April 2024, some residents of New Zealand noticed a glowing cloud in the sky, and astronomers have linked this sighting to a Chinese rocket launch. Ian Griffin, the director and astronomer at the Tūhura Otago Museum, is responsible for linking these two events.
A Rocket Launch Then Glowing Clouds
China’s Long March-2D rocket launched from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre on 24 April 2026. This rocket launched carrying experimental satellites, a few minutes after its launch, residents of New Zealand reported seeing a glowing cloud moving across the sky.
At the time of this occurrence, astronomer Ian Griffin was at Middlemarch near Dunedin and watched this glowing cloud as it moved across the sky. He later linked the Chinese rocket launch to the appearance of this strange occurrence in the sky across New Zealand.
Griffin claimed that as this rocket passed over New Zealand, it must have undergone either a stage separation or firing of its jets. One of these actions led to the appearance of the glowing cloud that was observed in various regions across New Zealand.
At the initial stage of his observation of the glowing cloud, Griffin noted that it was intense. The initial intensity of this glowing cloud might have been a result of its reflecting sunlight at the time.
As the rocket travelled into orbit, the cloud dispersed and formed a spiral shape. Griffin referred to this as an otherworldly experience, something not visible in a natural night sky.
These sightings are not new in New Zealand, as launches from the country’s Mahia Peninsula Launch Complex have caused similar sightings in the sky. The sighting on 24 April 2026 caused by the Chinese rocket launch wasn’t a cause for alarm as it didn’t pose any risk to the region.