Western China spiral light
- Date
- 24 Jul 1981
- Place
- Night sky over Gansu, Sichuan and Yunnan provinces, China
- Record
- Curated case
- Assessment
- Explained
- Evidence strength
What was reported
At about 10:40 pm on 24 July 1981 very large numbers of people across Gansu, Sichuan and Yunnan saw a bright spinning spiral cross the sky slowly from east to west. Newspapers at the time quoted astronomers attributing it to a meteor shower. Purple Mountain Observatory astronomer Liu Yan analysed the witness reports and concluded it was most likely a man-made spacecraft at about 650 km altitude, published in Amateur Astronomer; the appearance matches the 'space jellyfish' effect of rocket exhaust lit by sunlight above a dark observer. No radar or official file has been published.
What officials concluded
Resolved
Astronomers: a meteor shower at the time; later a man-made spacecraft at about 650 km (Liu Yan)
Strongest ordinary reading
Sunlit exhaust or venting from a rocket or spacecraft (space jellyfish effect)
Evidence profile
- Yes: Visual
- No: Infrared
- No: Radar
- No: Video
- No: Photo
- No: Film
- No: Audio
- No: Night vision
- No: Other sensor
- Yes: Civilian
- No: Military aircrew
- No: Military ground
- No: Airline crew
- No: Sensor operator
- No: Law enforcement
- Yes: Scientist
- No: Astronaut
- No: Intelligence official
- No: Other
- No: Light only
- No: Orb or sphere
- No: Disc
- No: Triangle
- No: Cylinder
- No: Cube
- Yes: Other shape
- No: Physiological
- No: Physical trace
- No: Electromagnetic
- No: Sound
- No: Silent
Outside sources
- Sixth Tone: The astronomer who calmed China's UFO crazesixthtone.com
- Wikipedia (zh): space jellyfish phenomenonzh.wikipedia.org
On the map
30.00° N, 102.00° E, plotted at the centre of the region named in the record
Show on the map