Spiral light show lights up skies

Skywatchers on the East Coast saw spiraling lights in the night sky after rocket launches, with scientists offering explanations.

Spiral light show from rocket exhaust lights up East Coast skies

Skywatchers along the East Coast reported spiraling lights in the night sky after two rocket launches. Ariane 6 lifted off from Kourou at 8:37 p.m. ET, and witnesses from Maryland to Illinois described a circling pattern that lingered as darkness grew.

A second rocket, the Vulcan Centaur, lifted from Cape Canaveral at 8:56 p.m. ET carrying navigation satellites for the US Space Force. The spirals appeared during a disposal burn of the upper stage, a rare display that scientists say comes from sunlight reflecting off the frozen exhaust plume. Harvard astronomer Jonathan C. McDowell of the Harvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics told ABC News that the spiral forms when sunlight interacts with the rocket plume, leaving a clean, curling shape in the high atmosphere.

The episode shows that space activity is increasingly part of everyday life, turning the night sky into a shared spectacle. When engines blaze, public curiosity rises and people look up with questions as well as wonder.

It also raises questions about how such events are communicated, especially when defense related missions are involved and international partners are part of the story. In moments when the sky becomes a classroom, clear explanations and timely updates matter for trust and understanding.

Highlights

As launches continue, the night sky may keep offering unexpected lessons in science and perception.