A mysterious glowing spiral appeared in the sky across the UK and parts of Europe last night (Monday, March 24).
The unusual sighting has caused a lot of confusion and speculation about what could have caused it.
The Met Office have explained that the illuminated swirl was likely to be caused by Elon Musk’s Space X Falcon 9 rocket, launched earlier the same day.
In a statement published online, the Met Office spokesperson said: “The rocket's frozen exhaust plume appears to be spinning in the atmosphere and reflecting the sunlight, causing it to appear as a spiral in the sky."
The phenomenon was visible above Derbyshire for some time, before it faded away – with many capturing the glowing spiral on their cameras.
1. Glowing spiral in sky above Derbyshire
A bright spiral was was spotted in the sky above Bolsover last night. Photo: Roxanne Warner
2. Glowing spiral in sky above Derbyshire
The Met Office have explained that the illuminated swirl was likely to be caused by the Elon Musk’s Space X Falcon 9 rocket, launched earlier the same day. Photo: Kirsty Louise Clarke