'Definitely aliens': Strange light phenomena over Sydney excites residents
A bizarre trail of light has made for an otherworldly display across the Sydney sky, leaving residents puzzled over its origin.
The streak of luminous light was pictured shooting through the atmosphere on Sunday last week in the Greater Western Sydney area.
A local resident snapped a photo of the phenomenon before uploading it to Facebook to gather suggestions on what it could be.
While one person jokingly concluded it was “definitely aliens”, others were just as stumped as the man who saw it.
Another joked that “Superman went ballistic again. Only this time he skipped a universe and kicked Ironman's butt”.
Someone else even blamed the rare sight on “the Germans”.
However the administrator of the Australian Meteor Reports Facebook page, David Finlay, settled the matter with a perfectly reasonable explanation, explaining the stunning sight was the result of a “plane vapour trail”.
Others agreed, adding that “it just looks different because the low sun makes it look shiny and abstract”.
Vapour trails, also called contrails, are line-shaped clouds produced by the engine exhausts of aircrafts or changes in air pressure.
A Facebook user with knowledge on the topic, explained there were only certain circumstances in which the trail would take on the specific appearance.
“When the sun is setting, or rising, and below the horizon any planes flying close to the western or eastern horizon will be illuminated from below and appear bright like this,” they wrote.
“As long as conditions are right the plane will make a contrail.”
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