My first reaction was “Photoshop,” because it’s just too good. But there are other pictures taken by many people. So I discard that hypothesis.
swans on tea
Just another SFN Blogs site
My first reaction was “Photoshop,” because it’s just too good. But there are other pictures taken by many people. So I discard that hypothesis.
It’s almost certainly a Russian submarine-launched ballistic missile that tumbled and spiraled. Steinn Sigurdsson at SciencBlogs has the details:
http://scienceblogs.com/catdynamics/2009/12/giant_green_spiral_over_the_no.php
i would think from the appearences of the photos and the video that it was a rocket or such type item, shot up into the sky. it is quite possible a malfunction of the rockets fuel nozzle system or the fuel canaster. if a rocket were to have a hole in its side it could affect the trajectory enough to cause the spiral effect. and as it gets up to higher speed the rocket planes out due to a cetrifugal force. thus you have your fuel dispersal in the spiral formation. now all you need is to ignite it. easily accomplished with the fire comming out the nozzle.