Stargazers capture viral images of mysterious spiral in England sky

Video of Falcon 9 Rocket lends clues to its existence

An illuminated swirl was captured in England's sky. Experts say it was likely caused by a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. (Copyright 2025 by WJXT News4JAX - All rights reserved.)

A strange spiral in the sky over England caught the attention of many stargazers Monday night.

The sight, which was most likely caused by a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket that launched from Kennedy Space Center around 2 p.m., was shared by the British meteorological agency and went viral, with people wondering about its origin.

Experts believe the spiral was formed by frozen excess fuel released from a reusable SpaceX rocket returning to Earth after launching a satellite. The rocket’s spin in the upper atmosphere caused the fuel to freeze into a spiral shape. Sunlight reflecting off the frozen fuel made it visible.

Simon Minnican, a photographer, filmed a captivating scene in which a bright spot emerged, steadily increasing in size before evolving into a swirling vortex.

Minnican stitched the video from the Falcon 9 deorbit burn and fuel dump visible over the UK. The entire event unfolded over 12 minutes, with the light spiral gradually fading about 4 minutes after it fully expanded.


About the Author
Mark Collins headshot

After covering the weather from every corner of Florida and doing marine research in the Gulf, Mark Collins settled in Jacksonville to forecast weather for The First Coast.

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