A ghostly, spiralling light illuminates the North West UK sky, linked to a SpaceX rocket launch in Forida.
BBC journalist Jonny Humphries captured a stunning and eerie image of a spiralling white light in the night sky above Liverpool on Monday evening. Social media quickly lit up with similar photos as residents across the North West reported witnessing a ghostly spiral that appeared to dance across the heavens. The spectacle, now linked to a SpaceX rocket launch in the United States, has left many both mesmerised and unsettled.
According to the Met Office, the spiral was likely produced by a frozen plume of fuel from the rocket’s exhaust. This plume, reflecting sunlight in the dark atmosphere, created a distinctive spiral that appeared to spin slowly against the backdrop of the night sky. The phenomenon unfolded over several minutes, captivating onlookers not just in Liverpool but also in various parts of the UK and Europe.
Local residents have taken to social media to share their astonishment. Georgina Wilkinson from Ramsbottom, Greater Manchester, recounted how her daughter reacted when they first saw the unusual display. “At first I thought it was the moon behind some clouds, as it was that bright in the sky. But then she spotted the swirling pattern and it moved across the sky,” Georgina said. Her daughter, she explained, found the sight so spooky that she refused to get out of the car.
Another witness, Shaun Winter from Northwich, captured his own images of the phenomenon on his phone. “I’ve just taken these photos on my phone in the night sky over Northwich,” he said. “They don’t do what I saw justice. It was amazing and eerie to see.” His description echoes the sentiments of many who observed the natural wonder, noting the surreal quality of the spiralling light as it wove through the darkened sky.
The origin of the light display has been traced back to the launch of a Falcon 9 rocket from Florida. The rocket, which took off at around 13:50 local time (17:50 GMT) on a classified US government mission, appears to have emitted an exhaust plume that, once frozen and illuminated by the sun, created the mysterious spiral. This occurrence coincided with an increase in public interest, as onlookers and space enthusiasts alike shared their images and speculations online.
In addition to these accounts, a contributor known as @Foxxwatch, who usually tracks urban wildlife in Manchester, reported catching unexpected images of the international space station overhead. Although his primary focus is not astronomical phenomena, he noted that his camera picked up some “cool photos” of the ISS during the same night, adding an extra layer of intrigue to the evening’s events.
Despite the technical explanation provided by the Met Office, many viewers continue to debate the sighting on social media, with some even suggesting a link to extraterrestrial phenomena. However, experts maintain that the spiral is a natural occurrence, a rare by-product of modern rocket technology interacting with the Earth’s atmosphere.
As the images circulate and discussions intensify online, the eerie spiral continues to serve as a stark reminder of how human technology can unexpectedly light up the night sky. For now, the mysterious phenomenon remains a fleeting spectacle—a moment of natural wonder captured against the backdrop of a dark, starry night.
