The protracted war in the Middle East, as well as the blow to the British Bases on Monday, March 2, have caused legitimate concern among citizens. Some of them posted photos with columns of clouds, mistakenly believing that they came from areas above Cyprus. This has led to discussions about the possibility of an attack on our country, or whether these are attacks involving neighbouring countries.
As experts explain, these images relate to ballistic missile launches from Iran towards Israel, as well as attempts to intercept them by Israeli air defenses, sometimes even over Lebanon.
The reasonable question that arises is how it is possible to observe these images from Cyprus, given that it is hundreds of kilometers away from both Israel and Lebanon.
The curvature of the Earth and extra-atmospheric crashes
Both the geography and characteristics of our region, as well as the technology of ballistic missiles are responsible for this phenomenon. Regarding ballistic missiles, they are often launched at high altitudes that may exceed 150 kilometers reaching extra-atmospheric levels.
What can be observed from areas of Cyprus is the downing of missiles launched from Iran towards Israel, at an extra-atmospheric level. Israeli air defenses manage in most cases to neutralize these missiles before they return to the atmosphere and reach their targets. In their final flight phase, ballistic missiles can develop hypersonic speeds, making interception efforts even more difficult, hence some are not intercepted and achieve their targets.
The curvature of the Earth as well as good weather conditions make it possible to observe launches and extra-atmospheric missile shootdowns at huge distances. Such a phenomenon occurs when, for example, rocket attacks or satellite launches take place at altitudes located above the atmosphere or in the stratosphere, where the field of view extends much farther than on the ground. Cyprus, due to its geographical location, is able to observe such activities occurring in areas far away from it.
Another phenomenon that often causes an impression is the passage of satellites or the launch of satellites. These launches often take place in areas far away from Cyprus, however, the curvature of the Earth allows it to be observed. Such as the passage of the Starlink satellites, which are launched from the USA.
The observation of these phenomena from Cyprus often creates confusion, especially on social networks. These phenomena occur at much greater distances, and their observation is a result of the curvature of the Earth, which allows observers in different parts of the world, such as Cyprus, to see events that are happening far away from them.
