Phenomenon
Rocket launches and reentry
A launch plume, stage separation, propellant dump or reentry breakup seen from hundreds of miles away.
How it presents
- Expanding illuminated cloud in near-vacuum lighting conditions.
- Event time matches a published launch or reentry window.
- Fragmenting trail with debris on divergent tracks.
What this explanation does not settle
A launch window near the sighting time is corroboration only when the geometry also works. Time alone is not a resolution.
No published file in the archive currently carries this resolution. The page stays as a reference definition rather than being padded with unrelated material.