Overview

• A striking blue spiral appeared in the night sky over France and parts of Europe on March 24, 2025, around 9 PM local time, lasting approximately 20 minutes.
• Experts confirmed the phenomenon was caused by excess fuel released from a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched earlier that evening as part of the NROL-69 mission.
• The spiral effect occurs when rocket fuel freezes and crystallizes at high altitudes, becoming illuminated by sunlight and visible from the ground in darkness.
• Similar blue spirals have been observed during previous SpaceX launches in New Zealand (2022), Hawaii (January 2023), and Alaska (April 2023).
• With the increasing frequency of SpaceX launches, such celestial displays are expected to become more common in the future.