2009 Norwegian Spiral Anomaly
The 2009 Norwegian Spiral Anomaly was a striking atmospheric light phenomenon observed over Northern Norway and Sweden for approximately 10 minutes on December 9, 2009. A large blue spiral appeared to emanate from behind a mountain, stopped in midair, and expanded outward in a widening spiral pattern before dispersing. The visual was captured in photographs and video and became widely circulated, briefly generating significant UFO speculation before receiving an official explanation from the Russian government.
| Date | 2009-12-10 |
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The Phenomenon
Witnesses across Norway and Sweden observed the spiral, which appeared as a pulsing blue-white light emitting from a single point and spiraling outward in a large, visually symmetrical pattern against the night sky. The effect lasted roughly 10 minutes before fading.
Official Explanation
On December 10, 2009, the Russian Defense Ministry announced that the phenomenon had been caused by a failed test of a Bulava ballistic missile. During the test, the missile's third-stage separation failed, causing propellant to vent laterally from the sides of the spinning missile. This produced the characteristic spiral pattern as the spinning missile dispersed fuel and exhaust outward in a radial pattern while traveling through the upper atmosphere.
The explanation was widely accepted by scientists and skeptics. The timing and location of the missile test aligned precisely with the observation window and geographic distribution of witnesses.