On the evening of March 24, 2025, a luminous spiral phenomenon illuminated the night sky above the UK, creating a flurry of excitement and intrigue among observers. Initially reported around 8pm GMT, the celestial display was visible not only in Britain but also across various parts of Europe, including France, Germany, and Ukraine.

The unusual sight has been attributed to a launch carried out by SpaceX, the aerospace company founded by Elon Musk. The Falcon 9 rocket launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida at approximately 1.50pm local time (5.50pm GMT), carrying a classified national security payload for the US government. Following the launch, a fuel dump from the rocket’s upper stage is believed to have produced the spectacular spiral. The Met Office explained on social media platform X, formerly Twitter, that “the rocket’s frozen exhaust plume appears to be spinning in the atmosphere and reflecting the sunlight, causing it to appear as a spiral in the sky.”

Eyewitnesses described the spiral as initially resembling an aircraft light. One such observer from Bristol, who wished to remain anonymous, noted, “It looked just like a plane with its headlight on. It suddenly went blurry and I thought ‘oh, it’s gone into cloud’, but then realised there weren’t any clouds.” He elaborated, “I watched this fuzzy light for what felt like about a minute when all of a sudden it started shooting out these spiral arms and spinning. I realised straight away it was SpaceX because I’ve seen it so much on YouTube, but I can totally see how others would have been weirded out by it – it really did look alien.”

The spiral was observed for several minutes, moving across the sky before fading from view, with reports indicating it was visible in various locations, including Salhouse, Weybourne, Swaffham, and Hingham. Lord Dover, a senior technical officer at the University of Hertfordshire’s Bayfordbury Observatory, explained that the phenomenon typically occurs when a rocket releases leftover fuel, which subsequently freezes at high altitudes and creates a swirling effect. He noted that while such sightings are becoming more common in certain regions of the world, it remains a rare occurrence for rocket launches to be visible from the UK in this manner.

As social media buzzed with speculation about the nature of the spiral, some observers suggested it could be an extraterrestrial event. However, Prof Brian Cox, a well-known physicist, reassured the public by confirming the connection to the SpaceX launch earlier that day. He commented on X, referencing SpaceX’s launch details, to clarify the origin of the phenomenon.

Overall, the vibrant spiral offered a stunning visual display that sparked both fascination and speculation, demonstrating the public’s renewed interest in space activities and their impacts on Earthly observers.

Source: Noah Wire Services