Mysterious radioactive material enriched with uranium found over Alaska; scientists scramble to determine origin

Alaska’s famous Northern Lights have received a new and menacing visitor, reported The Daily Mail. Floating high above the Aleutian Islands are radioactive particles contaminated by two different forms of uranium isotopes. Their exact origins have yet to be determined by the U.S. study that accidentally discovered their presence.

The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reported that the mysterious particles appeared in the upper troposphere more than four miles (seven kilometers) above Alaska. One of NASA’s WB-57 high-altitude research aircraft made the discovery and took a sample.

Most of the particle is comprised of the typical by-products from burning heavy fuel oil. However, it also shows traces of enriched uranium oxide with uranium-235 and uranium-238.