Spectacular blue spiral light brightens up night sky, likely from Space X rocket

A mysterious spiraling bluish airy illuminated the nighttime skies implicit Europe connected Monday.

The cosmic whirlpool was captured successful stunning video and appears to person been created by the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket booster falling backmost toward Earth, according to experts.

Time-lapse video taken from Croatia astatine astir 4 p.m. EST, oregon 9 p.m. section time, shows the glowing airy spinning crossed the entity successful what galore societal media commentators likened to a spiral galaxy. The afloat video astatine mean velocity lasts for astir six minutes.

Many societal media commenters likened the stunning show to a spiral galaxy (MedicaChristian/TMX)

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The Met Office successful the U.K. said it had received galore reports of an "illuminated swirl successful the sky" and said it was apt caused by the Space X rocket which launched from Cape Canaveral successful Florida astatine astir 1:50 p.m. EST arsenic portion of the government’s classified NROL-69 mission. The Elon Musk-owned SpaceX was launching a payload connected behalf of the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), the government's quality and surveillance agency.

"This is apt to beryllium caused by the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, launched earlier today," the Met Office wrote connected X. "The rocket's frozen exhaust plume appears to beryllium spinning successful the ambiance and reflecting the sunlight, causing it to look arsenic a spiral successful the sky."

The glowing airy is an illustration of what immoderate radical telephone a "SpaceX spiral," according to Space.com.

A mysterious spiraling bluish airy apt caused by the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket illuminated the nighttime skies implicit Europe connected Monday. (MedicaChristian/TMX)

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SpaceX spirals make aft the precocious signifier of a Falcon 9 rocket separates from its first-stage booster. As the precocious signifier continues towards space, the little signifier falls, spiraling backmost to Earth, dumping what remains of its fuel. 

The substance past freezes instantly owed to its precocious altitude and airy past reflects connected it, creating the strange-looking glow successful the sky, per the outlet.  

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket blasts disconnected from the motorboat pad astatine NASA's Kennedy Space Center successful Cape Canaveral, Florida connected March 14, 2025. (SpaceX/NASA)

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Fox News Digital reached retired to SpaceX for remark but did not instantly person a response. 

Monday’s cosmic show came conscionable days aft a SpaceX squad moving with NASA returned 2 stranded astronauts from space.