AP PROVIDES ACCESS TO THIS THIRD PARTY PHOTO SOLELY TO ILLUSTRATE NEWS REPORTING OR COMMENTARY ON FACTS DEPICTED IN IMAGE; MUST BE USED WITHIN 14 DAYS FROM TRANSMISSION; NO ARCHIVING; NO LICENSING; MANDATORY CREDIT
In this photo provided by Todd Salat, northern light enthusiasts got a surprise early April 15, 2023, when something odd was mixed in with the green bands of light dancing above the Donnelly Dome near Delta Junction, Alaska. A light baby blue spiral resembling a galaxy appeared amid the aurora for a few minutes. The spiral was formed when excess fuel that had been released from a SpaceX rocket that launched from California about three hours earlier turned to ice, and then the water vapor reflected the sunlight in the upper atmosphere. (Todd Salat via AP)