Eburacum
Senior Member.
A Space X rocket was seen over the UK last night, forming a spiral due to a fuel dump.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/videos/c7vzpmjm9vlo
The launch was for a classified (secret) mission,
. I didn't see it myself, but it was all over Facebook within minutes.
.Someone who did see it said it was much easier to see using a smartphone; this is an interesting factor- smartphones are very good at picking up faint phenomena in the sky, like the Northern lights. Smartphones also seem to exaggerate ordinary, distant planes into bright, nearby 'drones', so they are a mixed blessing.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/videos/c7vzpmjm9vlo
Several interesting factors to this;An unusual spiral appeared in the sky above the UK on Monday night, leading some people to wonder what was going on.
It is thought the cloud-like display was caused by SpaceX, which was conducting a classified rocket launch.
The launch was for a classified (secret) mission,
.The spiral moved quite quickly across the sky, and was only visible for a few minutes. Since it was in, or near, orbital height, this is as expected.SpaceX said on X the launch was carried out on behalf of the US government National Reconnaissance Office mission. The Kennedy Space Center also said on X the launch was a classified mission for that office.
. I didn't see it myself, but it was all over Facebook within minutes.
.Someone who did see it said it was much easier to see using a smartphone; this is an interesting factor- smartphones are very good at picking up faint phenomena in the sky, like the Northern lights. Smartphones also seem to exaggerate ordinary, distant planes into bright, nearby 'drones', so they are a mixed blessing.
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