A spiral of light illuminating the night sky captivated observers in most of England and Europe on Monday. Its cause: SpaceX rocket said after the fierce sight sparked widespread curiosity and speculation about its origins.
The etheric displays, which can be seen from the UK to Eastern Europe, resemble the glowing celestial vortex of images posted on social media. There, users reported watching for a few minutes before they faded.
The UK's National Weather Service Met Office said on social media late Monday: “Tonight we received many reports of swirls lit up in the sky, which could be caused by the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched early today.”
Professor Brian Cox, a physicist at the University of Manchester, also said, “it was related to this launch for everyone who asked about the strange spiral shapes of the previous sky.”
Elon Musk's Falcon 9 Rocket, SpaceX's company, launched Monday from Cape Canaveral, Florida, and carried a confidential US government payload.
The impressive spiral effect was caused by the frozen fuel released from the top stage of the rocket, which was exposed to sunlight at high altitudes to produce a bright display.
Recorded the event was Christian Medica, an avid skywatcher who spent the past two years filming Sky for his YouTube channel in Croatia. Despite his experience, the sight stunned him.
“This is the first time I've seen this,” he said. “At first glance, I literally thought it was a kind of wormhole in Star Trek.”
The sight piqued him, but he said “it's shaking a little.”
In many cases, similar spirals have appeared in the sky before, related to SpaceX. In March 2024, after another Falcon 9 mission, a European-comparable spiral appeared.
