Glowing blue spiral over Europe dazzles and perplexes. There's an explanation familiar to SoCal

A large, agleam bluish spiral spotted implicit Europe connected Monday nighttime sparked chatter connected societal media astir what mightiness person caused the mysterious vortex.

Videos posted connected X showed a bluish orb successful the nighttime entity that was disposable successful the U.K., France and different countries.

In a station connected X, AccuWeather said the mesmerizing bluish spiral mightiness person been caused by a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.

The station quoted the U.K. Met Office successful saying the spiral astir apt came astir owed to the rocket’s “frozen exhaust plume ... spinning successful the ambiance and reflecting the sunlight, causing it to look arsenic a spiral successful the sky.”

The flight, dubbed NROL-69, launched soon earlier 2 p.m. from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station successful Florida, according to Space X’s website, wherever the motorboat tin beryllium seen connected video.

A spokesperson for SpaceX could not instantly beryllium reached for comment.

A Falcon 9 antecedently caused a disturbance successful Southern California with the airy amusement it near successful its wake.

The motorboat of SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base is seen implicit Huntington Beach astatine dusk connected March 18, 2024.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Sci-fi fans mightiness spot a similarity with different bluish vortex.

The spiral is reminiscent of the improvement successful the 1980 movie “The Final Countdown,” successful which the USS Nimitz enters a bluish vortex and travels done clip to the time earlier the onslaught connected Pearl Harbor. Of course, it’s Hollywood; nary mentation is needed.