Mysterious Light Spiral Over Europe Traced to SpaceX Falcon 9 Reentry

A mysterious light spiral over Europe on March 24 was caused by a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket reentering Earth’s atmosphere.

Written by Gadgets 360 Staff | Updated: 31 March 2025 19:16 IST

Photo Credit: Simon Minnican/@minnican.bluesky.social

Mysterious Light Spiral Over Europe Traced to SpaceX Falcon 9 Reentry

Highlights

A bright spiral light was seen across Europe on March 24
The phenomenon was caused by a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket reentry
Similar spirals have been spotted in the past due to rocket launches

A bright, mesmerising light was seen painting the night sky across several parts of Europe on March 24. Witnesses from the United Kingdom including Lincolnshire, Yorkshire, Leicestershire, Suffolk, and Essex along with observers in Wales, Sweden, Croatia, Poland, and Hungary, reported a stunning glowing vortex that lingered in the atmosphere for roughly 12 minutes before slowly dissipating.

Light Spiral Caused by SpaceX Rocket Reentry

According to the reports, the Falcon 9 rocket, which was responsible for this celestial display was launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida at 1:48 p.m. ET. The spacecraft was transporting a classified payload for the National Reconnaissance Office. Following the completion of its mission, the rocket's second stage began its descent, initiating a spectacular visual phenomenon. As the remaining fuel was released into space, it crystallized into minuscule ice particles. Sunlight then caught these frozen droplets, generating the distinctive swirling pattern. The unique spiral shape emerged from the rocket's rotational movement during its downward trajectory.

Increasing SpaceX Spiral Sightings

In recent years, the public has been captivated by similar cosmic spectacles. A "horned" spiral appeared in the sky above Europe in May 2024, and an aurora-coinciding launch in April 2023 created a dazzling blue spiral over Alaska. Similar structures were recorded by Hawaii's Subaru Telescope on Mauna Kea in January 2023 and April 2022.

SpaceX sends Crew-10 to the ISS, finally replacing the delayed Starliner astronauts

Although not all Falcon 9 reentry produces such observable spirals, aerospace experts point out that their frequency has grown in tandem with the rising number of rocket launches. By monitoring launch dates and predicted paths, astronomers can usually predict these events. But in this case, because the operation was classified, advance information was kept secret, which gave the night sky a sense of unanticipated amazement.

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