(WHTM) — For the second time this month, a mysterious white spiral appeared above central Pennsylvania.

No, it’s not aliens. But space travel was behind the glowing apparition.

NASA said it safely launched its TOMEX+ sounding rockets from the NASA Wallops Flight Facility tonight in Wallops Island, Virginia. The launch started at 10:43 p.m., which meant many people looking to the sky shortly after 11 p.m. saw the rockets’ vapor tracers.

Researchers use vapor trails to study atmospheric winds. NASA said this mission aims to provide the clearest 3D view of turbulence in a region at the edge of space.

On Aug. 12, Midstaters flooded the abc27 News phonelines to report a similar spiral in the sky during the Perseid meteor shower.

Officials said that spiral likely came from a frozen plume

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