Did you catch this dazzling spectacle? 🤯 A glowing, swirling pattern appeared in the skies over Europe, leaving people stunned and full of questions. But what exactly caused this mesmerizing phenomenon?
On Monday, March 24, at 1:48 p.m. ET, SpaceX launched the NROL-69 mission aboard a Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida. According to SpaceX, this was the second flight for the first-stage booster, which had previously carried a Starlink mission into orbit.
While the mission details remain top secret—being part of a classified contract with the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO)—there are reports that SpaceX is building a swarm of spy satellites in low-Earth orbit. These satellites are rumored to have the capability to image Earth in real time, a project that has been the subject of speculation since March 2024.
However, while the launch itself was a success, it left quite an impression on people across Europe. The rocket’s fuel exhaust spread across the sky, creating a bizarre, luminous spiral that had many questioning if they had just witnessed something extraterrestrial. 👽
Stephen Hall, a resident of Suffolk, UK, was one of the many eyewitnesses. “A huge Catherine wheel appeared in the sky, almost as if it had its own atmosphere around it,” he told the BBC. “For a moment, I actually wondered—could this be a UFO?”
So, what really caused this breathtaking display? The answer lies in the Falcon 9’s exhaust plume.
A recent SpaceX rocket launch has been linked to a series of glowing spiral formations seen over Europe’s night skies.
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The UK Met Office quickly took to X (formerly Twitter) to clear up the mystery: “We’ve received many reports of an illuminated swirl in the sky this evening. This is likely due to the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched earlier today. The rocket’s frozen exhaust plume appears to be spinning in the atmosphere, reflecting sunlight and forming a spiral pattern.”
This isn’t the first time we’ve seen such spirals. Similar patterns have been recorded after previous rocket launches, a result of the spinning motion of a rocket’s upper stage.
According to geophysicist Don Hampton, chief scientist at the Poker Flat Rocket Range, these spirals occur when a rocket stage spins while releasing exhaust gases. “It is likely either exhaust from a deorbit burn over the Pacific Ocean, or possibly the dumping of extra fuel after that burn,” Hampton explained.
At such high altitudes, any water vapor in the exhaust instantly turns to ice, reflecting sunlight and creating the bright, swirling cloud seen from the ground. “It may look spectacular, but in reality, it’s probably just a few pounds of water,” he added. 🌌
So, while it might have looked like an alien encounter, the truth is just as fascinating—a classified SpaceX mission leaving its mark on the sky.
Did you see the spiral? Let us know what you thought! 👀🚀
