A Chinese rocket illuminated the night sky over Queensland and northern New South Wales as it traversed northeastern Australia. The event occurred late last night, with the Zhuque 2E Block 2 rocket being launched from a Chinese satellite facility at approximately 6:20 PM.

Professor Jonti Horner, an astrophysicist at the University of Southern Queensland, noted that the rocket became visible in Queensland roughly 20 minutes after its launch. This commercial mission was carrying a payload weighing around six tonnes.

According to Professor Horner, the rocket reached a sufficient altitude to be illuminated by sunlight, despite the darkness experienced on the ground. “It ascended to orbital height and released some gas,” he explained. “This gas cloud was still in sunlight while it was dark below, creating a striking visual effect.” He continued, “As a result, observers witnessed a glowing cloud of gas as the rocket passed overhead.”