Mysterious Spiral in the Sky Turns Out to Be a SpaceX Rocket Fuel Plume
Imagine stepping outside on a chilly evening, looking up at the night sky, and seeing something truly bizarre—an enormous, glowing spiral slowly twisting above you. That’s exactly what happened to Michael Coates, a man from Hexham, Northumberland, who was out with his dog when he noticed what first seemed like an unusually bright star. But within minutes, this “star” transformed into a mesmerizing, cloud-like spiral that left him in awe. He described it as resembling a “jellyfish” drifting through space.
The strange phenomenon, visible across various parts of the UK, sparked curiosity and even wild speculations—some thought it could be a UFO, while others believed it was some sort of cosmic event. But the real explanation was just as fascinating: it was caused by a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch from Florida.
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Here’s what happened. The Falcon 9 rocket lifted off at 13:50 local time (17:50 GMT) as part of a classified mission for the US government’s National Reconnaissance Office. As the rocket ascended and separated, any leftover fuel in the second stage was released into the upper atmosphere. Because of the extreme cold at such altitudes, this fuel instantly froze, forming a cloud that began to swirl due to the rocket’s movement. The result? A giant luminous spiral visible from the ground.
The Met Office confirmed that the light show was caused by this frozen plume of fuel reflecting sunlight as it spun in the sky. Michael Coates, who quickly called his wife and son to witness the spectacle, managed to snap several photos of the event. He admitted that, despite being a rational person, there was a part of him that was momentarily filled with excitement and wonder—“What is that?” he thought.
This isn’t the first time such spirals have been spotted. SpaceX launches have created similar effects before, but they’re still relatively rare, especially in the UK. The celestial display was visible for about ten minutes before it faded away, leaving behind a mix of amazement and curiosity among those lucky enough to witness it.
So, while it may not have been an alien encounter, it was certainly a reminder of just how spectacular and unpredictable space exploration can be. Next time you see something strange in the night sky, you might just be witnessing a glimpse of human ingenuity at work.
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