What caused the halo that appeared in Jordan's skies over the past few days? Here's the scientific explanation.

Arab Weather - Many residents of Jordan, as well as some neighboring countries like Egypt and Syria, witnessed a strange halo at dawn on Saturday, June 14, 2025. Many rumors and various interpretations have been circulating about it. In this article, we explain what this halo is.

Ballistic missile mechanism: trajectory from Earth to space

Ballistic missiles follow a specific, carefully studied path, passing through several vital stages to ensure they reach their maximum altitude and furthest range, starting with the tremendous thrust and ending with the return to a specific point.

Launch phase:

The journey begins with the ignition of the massive thrusters, which generate tremendous force that overcomes Earth's gravity. The rocket initially ascends vertically, consuming massive amounts of fuel. This stage requires extreme precision control; even the slightest deviation can affect the final overall trajectory and target accuracy.

Reinforcement and separation stage:

As the rocket ascends, the additional propulsion stages begin to separate one by one. Whenever a particular stage runs out of fuel, it separates from the main rocket body to reduce its weight, increasing its speed and efficiency. At this stage, air resistance decreases significantly, and the rocket accelerates to thousands of kilometers per hour.

Mid-course stage:

After all propulsion stages separate, the rocket enters the free-trajectory phase, where it is subject only to the influence of Earth's gravity. At this point, the rocket reaches the highest point in its trajectory, known as apogee. This altitude can exceed 100 kilometers (62 miles). This altitude is known as the Karman Line, the boundary between the atmosphere and outer space. Some intercontinental ballistic missiles can reach altitudes exceeding 1,000 kilometers (620 miles), flying in near space. This means that some ballistic missiles can reach an altitude higher than the International Space Station, which flies approximately 400 kilometers (250 miles) above Earth!

Return and entry stage:

As the missile approaches its target, its explosive payload begins to re-enter the atmosphere. The intense friction with the air generates tremendous heat, necessitating shielding to protect the payload from damage and combustion, as the speed is extremely high and the missile takes advantage of Earth's gravity to fall.

What is the relationship between the ballistic missile and the aura that appeared?

The halo that may appear in the sky as a result of the separation of some of the rocket's stages is a unique phenomenon. This halo is merely a reflection of the rocket's mechanism itself, and is formed as a result of several factors:

1. Separation altitude: For this halo to be clearly visible, the spent stages must separate at very high altitudes, where the atmosphere is very thin. As we mentioned, some rockets reach altitudes of more than 100 km, and sometimes even 300 and 400 km.
2. Illumination: When separation occurs during the twilight hours, i.e. after sunset or before sunrise, as we witnessed at dawn today, sunlight can strike the remaining gases from the engines or the separated stages. This light is reflected off the scattered gas molecules, creating a luminous, extended halo of various shapes, appearing as luminous clouds, celestial discs, or halos of various shapes.
3. Artificial clouds: These gases may condense to form what are known as "artificial clouds," which glow with a white, blue, or multicolored glow due to reflected sunlight. These optical phenomena are often misinterpreted as UFOs or unusual phenomena, when in fact they are due to the dynamics of rocket launches. We have seen such halos during space rocket launches, as the mechanism of action between ballistic and space missiles is similar.