Wormhole, UFO, or Failed Rocket Launch??? -- UPDATED

The picture below is not photo-shopped. It is a real image of the morning sky over Norway today. At about 8:30 AM (still dark due to the proximity to the arctic circle) the morning sky gave birth to a strange light, followed by this:

The spiral and blue beam from the center, after growing for nearly two minutes, suddenly "opened". A darkness overtook the glowing white spiral, and what was left was an eerie blue glow hovering over the horizon.

To the untrained observer, images such as the ones above and below would lead one to believe that a UFO had been spotted, or that some earth or space based laser beam had opened a wormhole. Some Internet comments even suggested "next time fly a plane through it and see what happens".



As interesting as this 'phenomenon' is, it will be impossible to fly a plane through as it occurs high above the earth's atmosphere. It is no wormhole, no mystical force opening a chasm between two worlds... what we see in the pictures is a failed rocket launch.

At some point this morning a launch occurred - most likely a Russian submarine launch from the northern sea... unless Norway has a super-secret launch facility in the north. At some point during the ascent, the rocket began experiencing control issues causing a spiral. Once the rocket reached the upper atmosphere the spiral plume held it's shape and continued outward by the force of the thrust. The sudden black hole opening was simply the rocket detonating above the atmosphere, the expansive force of the explosion moved faster than the thruster particles. What remained in the atmosphere was spent propellant reflecting light from the rising sun.

Why am I so certain? Experience, dear reader... It's what I do in the real world...

Also, below are two pictures. One is from this mysterious event, the other is from a scheduled morning launch of a known rocket. Notice the similarities in the clouds near the horizon - typical rocket plumage.



The only question now is WHO was launching WHAT?

Videos of the account are here:

--UPDATED--
NAVTEX was notified of an expected rocket launch by the Russians out of the White Sea during this time frame, establishing a "no fly" area from 0600 to 0900 on the morning of 9 December. The Russians have initially denied launching any missiles, however, all evidence is stacked against them. That answers the WHO.

The What, however, is more complicated. It is speculated that the Russians are developing a new missile capable of tricking American missile defense systems, and that this is one of those top secret birds flopping through the air.

What is more intriguing is the timing of the launch. The launch took place over the country to which the American President, Obama, is en-route to pick up his Nobel Prize. Is this launch over Norway a signal to the Peace-Prize POTUS? Is Russia flexing her Nuclear Muscles over the same country where the US President is going to deliver a speech to the world announcing that the US will start disarmament?

One has to wonder what blinders the media have on for not asking these questions, and the POTUS has on for heading to Norway in the wake of this obvious gesturing.