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4w ago

ESA Ariane 6 Launch Behind Night-Sky Spiral Seen Across the U.S. Northeast

Meteorologists say vented propellant from an upper stage froze into ice crystals, creating the brief spiral visible after sunset.

Multiple people in Massachusetts reported seeing a swirl in the sky Tuesday evening. It was likely from the launch of an ESA Ariane 6 rocket, which blasted off shortly after 4 p.m.
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Overview

  • Reports and videos described a bright S-shaped swirl over New York, Long Island, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Virginia and Cape Cod on Tuesday evening.
  • The European Space Agency confirmed an Ariane 6 rocket launched from Kourou, French Guiana, carrying the Sentinel-1D radar Earth-observation satellite.
  • Local forecasters explained that excess fuel released high in the atmosphere can freeze into reflective ice crystals, producing a spiral under favorable lighting and viewing angles.
  • Sentinel-1D provides day-and-night radar imagery to support disaster response teams, environmental agencies, maritime authorities and climate scientists.
  • No safety issues were reported, and experts noted similar sky spirals have followed previous rocket events, including a documented display over Europe linked to SpaceX earlier this year.