"Mysterious Giant White Spiral Vortex Spotted Over Britain, Baffling Experts"

Mysterious Spiral in UK Sky Sparks Alien Theories—But It’s SpaceX Rocket Fuel

Britons were captivated Monday night by a dazzling blue-white spiral swirling in the sky, sparking jokes about aliens or interdimensional portals. However, experts confirmed the spectacle was caused by frozen fuel from a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, not extraterrestrials.

The spiral formed when excess fuel expelled by the rocket’s spinning second stage froze in the upper atmosphere, reflecting sunlight before vaporizing. The Falcon 9, launched earlier that day from Florida for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office’s classified NROL-69 mission, created the eerie glow visible across the UK, from Yorkshire to Kent.

Social Media Buzz
Witnesses flooded social media with photos and theories. One user tweeted, “Weird thing to see at night… Aliens?” Another shared, “Saw a bright satellite surrounded by a spiral cloud—gone in seconds!” The Met Office quickly addressed the reports, attributing the phenomenon to SpaceX’s rocket venting fuel.

[Image placeholder: Spiral seen from Portsmouth with caption: The SpaceX-fueled spiral illuminated skies across the UK.]

Science Behind the Spiral
The Falcon 9’s second stage spins to stabilize itself while releasing unused fuel. At high altitudes, this fuel freezes into ice crystals, creating a reflective spiral. “It’s like a garden sprinkler in space,” explained astronomer Jonathan McDowell, referencing a similar 2021 event linked to a Chinese rocket.

[Image placeholder: Falcon 9 launch with caption: The rocket’s spin caused the spiral effect during its March 24 launch.]

Past Precedents
Such spirals aren’t new. In 2022, a SpaceX launch over New Zealand produced a glowing blue swirl, while a 2009 Russian missile test failure caused a spiral over Norway mistaken for a UFO.

[Image placeholder: 2022 New Zealand spiral with caption: A similar SpaceX spiral amazed New Zealanders two years ago.]

Mission Mystery
While the Falcon 9’s payload remains classified, the NRO oversees U.S. spy satellites, suggesting the mission involved surveillance equipment. SpaceX’s role in frequent launches—often visible globally—highlights how space activity increasingly intersects with public wonder.

[Image placeholder: Met Office tweet with caption: Officials confirmed the spiral was rocket fuel, not aliens.]

Expert Insights
Physicist Brian Cox and astronomy groups clarified the event online, with Cox sharing SpaceX’s launch video. The UK Astronomy account noted it was a routine “deorbit burn,” emphasizing the blend of science and spectacle in modern rocketry.

Though brief, the spiral joined a growing list of human-made celestial wonders—proving reality can rival sci-fi.

Fact Box: What Created the Spiral?

• Cause: Frozen fuel from SpaceX’s spinning Falcon 9 rocket.
• Appearance: Sunlight reflecting off ice crystals at ~200 km altitude.
• Past Cases: New Zealand (2022), China (2021), Norway (2009).

[Image placeholder: Diagram of fuel venting process with caption: Spiral formation from spinning rocket fuel.]

The event underscores how rocket launches, once confined to launch sites, now deliver unexpected artistry to skies worldwide—no aliens required.

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