A dazzling, spiralling light in the night sky left many across the UK startled last week, with social media abuzz over possible UFO sightings. The peculiar orb, spotted in multiple regions including Greater Manchester, Derbyshire, Lancashire, Yorkshire, Staffordshire, and even parts of the south, prompted widespread speculation, reported Express.
Residents took to social media to describe the event, with one person exclaiming, "Pretty certain I just saw a UFO. Did anyone else see it?" Another posted, "Has anyone else just seen this over Radcliffe in the sky? Me and the kids are freaked out."
Some described a bright object surrounded by misty white rings, moving slowly before vanishing.
While some joked about Batman or alien portals, experts were quick to clarify that the eerie display was likely caused by the launch of a SpaceX rocket.
According to the Manchester Evening News, the event coincided with the deployment of a US spy satellite, NROL-69, which lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida aboard a Falcon 9 rocket.
Similar spiral anomalies have been recorded before, including in 2023 when a SpaceX launch from California created a comparable sight in the US sky. This phenomenon occurs when excess fuel is vented into space, forming frozen vapour clouds that reflect sunlight, producing the mesmerising swirling effect.
As per The Mirror, many who witnessed the spectacle were initially unsettled, with some believing it to be an unidentified flying object. However, space experts assure that such occurrences, while rare, are a known side effect of certain rocket launches.
Despite the logical explanation, the celestial show left a lasting impression, with one observer summing it up: "It was spinning, then just disappeared into the distance. Absolutely unreal."
Residents took to social media to describe the event, with one person exclaiming, "Pretty certain I just saw a UFO. Did anyone else see it?" Another posted, "Has anyone else just seen this over Radcliffe in the sky? Me and the kids are freaked out."
Some described a bright object surrounded by misty white rings, moving slowly before vanishing.
🚨🇬🇧 Just spotted in the night sky over the UK by hundreds of different people
— Concerned Citizen (@BGatesIsaPyscho) March 24, 2025
Anyone got a video clip? What on Earth is it? pic.twitter.com/ISD5XXBUCI
While some joked about Batman or alien portals, experts were quick to clarify that the eerie display was likely caused by the launch of a SpaceX rocket.
According to the Manchester Evening News, the event coincided with the deployment of a US spy satellite, NROL-69, which lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida aboard a Falcon 9 rocket.
Similar spiral anomalies have been recorded before, including in 2023 when a SpaceX launch from California created a comparable sight in the US sky. This phenomenon occurs when excess fuel is vented into space, forming frozen vapour clouds that reflect sunlight, producing the mesmerising swirling effect.
As per The Mirror, many who witnessed the spectacle were initially unsettled, with some believing it to be an unidentified flying object. However, space experts assure that such occurrences, while rare, are a known side effect of certain rocket launches.
Despite the logical explanation, the celestial show left a lasting impression, with one observer summing it up: "It was spinning, then just disappeared into the distance. Absolutely unreal."
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