A bright light phenomenon was observed in the Eastern Finland
    on April 21. At 00.25 UT two people saw a bright, luminous
    pillar-shaped phenomenon in the low eastern horizont near
    Mikkeli. The head of the pillar was circular. The lower part
    was a little winding. It was like a monster they told. They
    were little frightened. Soon the yellowish pillar became
    enlarged. A bright spot like the Sun was appeared in the middle
    of the phenomenon. At last the light landed behind the nearby
    forest. Now there was only luminous trails in the sky which were
    visible till morning sunrise.

    The same phenomenon was observed also by Jaakko Kokkonen in
    Lappeenranta. At 00.26 UT he saw a luminous yellowish trail in
    the low northeastern horizont. The altitude of the trail was
    only about 3-4 degrees. Soon the trail began to grow taller.
    A loop was appeared in the head of the trail. It was like a
    spoon. This lasted only 10 seconds. Now the altitude was about
    five degress above horizont. He noted a bright spot at the
    upper stage of loop. The spot was at magnitude -2. The loop
    became enlarged and the spot was now visible in the middle of
    the loop. A cartwheel-shaped trail was appeared round the bright
    spot. After a minute the spot disappeared and only fuzzy trails
    were only visible in the low horizont. Luminous trails were still
    visible at 01.45 UT in the morning sky.

    The phenomenon was caused by a Russian rocket. I don't know if
    there were satellite launches in Plesetsk Cosmodrome near
    Arkhangelsk, but this may be a rocket experiment too. Since 1969
    we have observed over 80 rocket phenomena in Finland. Most of
    these are rocket experiments (military missile tests?), barium
    experiments and other chemical releases. During these years we
    have observed 17 satellite launches.

    Leo Wikholm