On the evening of March 24, residents across the UK were captivated and bewildered by a bright, 'spinning' orb that lit up the night sky, leading many to speculate about the potential for a UFO sighting. Eyewitnesses reported seeing the strange phenomenon from their windows, with some children reportedly frightened by the unusual display.
Social media platforms saw an influx of queries regarding the orb's origin, with many users reacting in real-time. Eye-witnesses from various regions, including Greater Manchester, Derbyshire, Lancashire, Yorkshire, and Staffordshire, as well as southern areas of the UK, shared their astonishment and curiosity. One user expressed their disbelief on social media, saying, "Pretty certain I just saw a UFO. Did anyone else see it?" Another person referenced the experience but added a light-hearted twist, stating, "It's Batman's new call sign," while others elaborated on what they had seen.
The initial excitement and speculation were soon quelled when the phenomenon was identified as a result of a SpaceX rocket launch. The Falcon 9 rocket, which is part of a mission undertaken for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida just after 1.45pm on the same day. The unusual sighting was subsequently linked to the rocket venting excess fuel, which had frozen and been illuminated by sunlight— a situation reminiscent of similar events observed in 2023 when a comparable spiral was seen in the USA following a SpaceX launch from California.
As the orb displayed slow movement and gradually faded from view, social media users continued to share reactions, asking questions such as, "What have we just seen? It was moving and then faded away after about 2 minutes." The buzz around the mysterious phenomenon highlighted not only curiosity but also a bit of humour, as people made light of the unexpected show in the sky.
The incident serves as an illustrative case of how rocket launches can inadvertently create wondrous and puzzling sights far from the launch site, capturing the attention and imagination of those who witness them from miles away.
Source: Noah Wire Services