Yesterday evening, an extraordinary phenomenon could be observed in the sky, including in our region. What was the “cosmic vortex”?
The matter was explained factually on the “With Your Head in the Stars” profile by Karol Wójcicki, a journalist and popularizer of astronomy, who reported that the whole matter was connected with a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket that had launched on a classified mission.
Profile creator:
The NROL-69 mission aimed to place the USA-498 satellite into orbit. Its exact purpose remains classified due to the military nature of the payload. After the launch phase, the Falcon 9’s first stage returned to Earth, landing at Landing Zone 1 at Cape Canaveral. This was its second successful flight—it had previously supported a Starlink mission.
And explained:
During the planned deorbit, before the rocket’s second stage enters the atmosphere and burns up, leftover fuel is often released. This happens in space—several hundred kilometres above Earth—where there is no air, so the expelled gases do not disperse chaotically but instead form symmetrical structures.
If the rocket rotates around its own axis, which is often intentional to stabilize the flight, the fuel released from the nozzles forms a spiral or vortex resembling a luminous galaxy. Illuminated by the Sun, which is still below the horizon, such a cloud can look truly spectacular—like a glowing vortex spinning against the darkening sky.
Did you see it live? Do you have your own photos? Share them in the comments below this post.
Header photo: lwowecki.info.