An Auckland Astronomer has spotted a NASA rocket flying over New Zealand shortly after it was launched from Florida.
Stardome educator Josh Kirkley told Newshub he spotted the bright lights after hearing reports of strange lights and unidentified flying objects. He later realised it was the rocket from NASA's latest mission, the Parker Solar Probe, in space making its way over New Zealand.
The Parker Probe is named after astrophysicist Eugene Parker, who first described solar wind in 1958.
Parker will make 24 loops around the sun over seven years to study its physics and is expected to get within 6.13 million kilometres of the sun, closer than any other rocket.
Mr Kirkley said he spotted the bright lights Whangaripo Valley Rd near Pakiri on Sunday and he's very sure the lights were not aliens.
"I genuinely had no idea what this was, and was pretty confused considering I'm usually the one who is debunking people's UFO sightings in NZ," he said.
"There were more reports from other Kiwis online who has seen strange glowing lights, but it was an American friend who told me that NASA has just launched a rocket less than an hour before I took these photos."
Mr Kirkley later commented on Instagram to say he believed it was the second stage of the rocket as the first stage would have been discarded long before it flew over New Zealand.
Newshub.
