A stunning blue spiral light, likely from a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, illuminated the night sky over Europe on Monday, captivating viewers and sparking widespread discussion.
A mesmerizing blue light graced the night skies over Europe on Monday, captivating onlookers and sparking curiosity across social media platforms. This extraordinary phenomenon was likely caused by the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket booster as it descended back to Earth.
The cosmic display, resembling a spiraling galaxy, was captured in time-lapse video from Croatia around 4 p.m. EST, or 9 p.m. local time. The full video, which lasts approximately six minutes, showcases the glowing light as it spins across the sky, leaving viewers in awe.
The Met Office in the United Kingdom confirmed that it had received numerous reports of an “illuminated swirl in the sky.” Experts indicated that the spectacle was likely the result of the SpaceX rocket that launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, around 1:50 p.m. EST as part of a classified mission for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO).
“This is likely to be caused by the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, launched earlier today,” the Met Office stated on social media platform X. “The rocket’s frozen exhaust plume appears to be spinning in the atmosphere and reflecting sunlight, causing it to appear as a spiral in the sky.”
The glowing phenomenon is often referred to as a “SpaceX spiral,” according to Space.com. These spirals occur when the upper stage of a Falcon 9 rocket separates from its first-stage booster. As the upper stage continues its journey into space, the lower stage falls back to Earth, releasing any remaining fuel. This fuel freezes almost instantly due to the high altitude, and sunlight reflects off the frozen particles, creating the unique glow observed in the sky.
Fox News Digital reached out to SpaceX for further comment but did not receive an immediate response.
This stunning display in the night sky came just days after a SpaceX team, in collaboration with NASA, successfully returned two astronauts who had been stranded in space.
According to experts, such occurrences highlight the intricate and often visually stunning nature of space exploration and the technology that supports it.
Source: Original article