Mysterious green light observed in Japan belonged to NASA satellite: Watch video here

A stunning phenomenon of vibrant green laser beams illuminating the sky was captured on video by motion-detecting cameras positioned outside the Hiratsuka City Museum in Japan. Daichi Fujii, the museum curator, had set up the cameras to capture meteors and gather data on their position, brightness, and orbit, as per a report from Space.com. The mysterious appearance of bright green lines on the camera footage from September 16, 2022 initially puzzled Fujii and his team. However, further investigation revealed that the lasers were actually synchronized with a brief green dot that appeared between the clouds.

As it turns out, the source of the mesmerizing laser beams was none other than NASA's ICESat-2, also known as the Ice, Cloud, and Land Elevation Satellite 2. This Earth-orbiting satellite had flown over the museum at just the right time for its green lasers to be captured in action, streaming from orbit to Earth. The breathtaking footage captured by the museum's motion-detecting cameras serves as a testament to the cutting-edge technology and scientific endeavors of NASA.

What is NASA saying?

According to a recent statement from NASA, the motion detector footage captured by the Hiratsuka City Museum in Japan is the first known instance of their ICESat-2 satellite's laser beams being caught on camera. Tony Martino, ICESat-2 instrument scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, explained that the satellite appeared to be nearly overhead of the museum, with the laser beams hitting the low clouds at a specific angle. Martino further emphasized that observing the laser beams required being in the exact right location, at the right time, and under the right conditions. 

What is the ICESat-2?

ICESat-2, a satellite launched in September 2018 by NASA, employs advanced laser technology and a highly precise detection instrument to measure various aspects of Earth's surface, including ice sheet elevation, sea ice thickness, and land topography. The laser instrument, known as lidar (Light Detection and Ranging), is capable of generating accurate 3D measurements. Lidar sensors are commonly used in autonomous vehicles for environmental perception. The lidar system on board ICESat-2 emits 10,000 laser pulses per second, projecting six beams of light towards Earth from its orbit. This cutting-edge technology enables NASA to collect highly accurate data for scientific research and monitoring of Earth's dynamic systems.