NASA's Mysterious Green Laser Lights Over Mount Fuji Finally Explained
Green laser lights spotted over Mount Fuji in 2022 were caused by NASA's ICESat-2 satellite, which shoots 10,000 laser pulses a second to measure the elevation of ice sheets, glaciers, and sea ice. The lasers were visible due to rare weather conditions, with two thin layers of clouds present over Japan, allowing for the light to become visible. This is the first time the ICESat-2 team has seen footage of its lidar instrument in action. The laser light is not harmful and has roughly the same strength as a camera flash from 30 meters away.