'Swirling blue vortex' spotted in skies of North East explained by experts
A spectacular blue spiral spotted in the night skies over the North East sparked a flurry of excitement, with some wondering if they had witnessed a UFO.
The bizarre phenomenon, described by onlookers as a 'swirling blue vortex' or 'galactic spiral,' appeared high above the UK skies on Monday (March 24) evening, leaving many reaching for their cameras – and wondering if extra-terrestrial visitors had arrived.
However, the explanation is a little simpler, as experts have explained the phenomenon.
The strange vortex, disk in the skis of the North East (Image: AIJ photography) According to experts, the stunning display was caused by a fuel dump from a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida.
The spiral shape was created as the rocket's second stage performed a controlled deorbit burn, releasing excess fuel into the upper atmosphere.
Professor Brian Cox weighed in on the mystery, writing on social media platform X (formerly Twitter): 'For everyone asking about the strange spiral shape in the sky earlier – it was associated with this launch.'
Falcon 9 lifts off from pad 40 and returns to LZ-1 in Florida pic.twitter.com/zC7PlEogcE
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) March 24, 2025
He also shared a video from SpaceX showing the Falcon 9's first stage successfully landing at LZ-1 in Florida.
Space enthusiasts and astronomers quickly moved to calm speculation.
VirtualAstro, a well-known astronomy page on X, explained: 'For those who saw something weird in the sky earlier – the SpaceX craft was performing manoeuvres and its exhaust jets created an impressive swirl in the sky.'
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UK Astronomy also posted: 'Lots asking about this! It's the 2nd stage deorbit burn from the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.'
The event captivated stargazers across the country, with many sharing images and videos online.
Sightings were reported across a wide area – from County Durham, Teesside, Northumberland and parts of North Yorkshire – highlighting the vast visibility of the phenomenon.
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