What the flying spiral spotted over Hawaii actually means

We need to talk about space tourism's growing environmental impact.

Thinking about space for too long can be scary and overwhelming. Are we alone? Will we ever be able to live on another planet? Will black holes destroy the universe one day? What should you do if you ever encounter an alien? Don’t worry, our curious science producer will do all the excessive thinking for you, and teach you a thing or two in the process. With the help of experts, our producer will deep dive into all the interesting things that happen, have happened, and will happen in space.

In late January 2023, the Subaru Telescope released footage of a bizarre flying whirlpool passing over the sky above Mauna Kea, Hawaii. Though the public was puzzled, scientists soon concluded that the spectacle we witnessed was actually leftover fuel from a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket which had launched a satellite earlier that day.

But that's not the end of the story. The oddly symmetrical whirlpool may not be a sign of alien life, but it shows something else — we need to talk about space tourism's growing environmental impact.

Topics SpaceX Sustainability Nature

Teodosia Dobriyanova

Video Producer

Teodosia is a video producer at Mashable UK, focussing on stories about climate resilience, urban development, and social good.