A mysterious spiral of light captivated East Coast stargazers on August 13th. The unusual phenomenon, witnessed across multiple states, followed multiple rocket launches. Astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell attributed the spirals to the upper stage of the Ariane 6 rocket tumbling during disposal, reflecting sunlight off its exhaust plume. The effect, visible due to the lack of atmospheric distortion in space, created a striking visual display. A second possible contributor was the Vulcan Centaur rocket launch.

Prepared by Olivia Bennett and reviewed by editorial team.