Overview

• The European Space Agency’s Ariane 6 upper stage executed a deorbit burn, spinup and propellant dump around 10:45 p.m. EDT, releasing frozen fuel plumes that reflected light into spiral patterns.
• A nearly simultaneous United Launch Alliance Vulcan Centaur launch from Cape Canaveral vented exhaust plumes that accounted for some of the boomerang-shaped glows.
• Astronomers noted that at high altitudes frozen vapor reflects sunlight and moonlight, producing swirling lights visible across multiple states and parts of Canada.
• Space agencies and experts have confirmed the technical explanation, dispelling widespread UFO and alien theories circulating on social media.
• The spectacle coincided with the peak of the Perseid meteor shower, drawing more skyward observers and accelerating the spread of videos and photos online.