Observers in Connecticut reported a glowing blue-and-white spiral in the sky on Tuesday, which was traced to the Ariane 6 rocket launch from Kourou, French Guiana. The rocket, manufactured by ArianeGroup and operated by Arianespace for the ESA, lifted off at 4:02 p.m. carrying a weather satellite. The spiral formed when exhaust expanded and crystallized in the upper atmosphere and was twisted by the rocket's motion. Similar displays followed other recent launches, including a SpaceX launch in March and a French Guiana launch in August.
Glowing Spiral Over Connecticut? It Was Rocket Exhaust From an Ariane 6 Launch
Observers in Connecticut reported a glowing blue-and-white spiral in the sky on Tuesday, which was traced to the Ariane 6 rocket launch from Kourou, French Guiana. The rocket, manufactured by ArianeGroup and operated by Arianespace for the ESA, lifted off at 4:02 p.m. carrying a weather satellite. The spiral formed when exhaust expanded and crystallized in the upper atmosphere and was twisted by the rocket's motion. Similar displays followed other recent launches, including a SpaceX launch in March and a French Guiana launch in August.
10:41, 07.11.2025Science
Glowing spiral over Connecticut traced to Ariane 6 rocket launch
This month's near-full supermoon had some competition: on Tuesday afternoon and into the evening, observers across Connecticut reported seeing a glowing blue-and-white spiral of lights lingering in the sky.
According to Space.com and the European Space Agency (ESA), the phenomenon was caused by the Ariane 6 rocket, which lifted off from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, at 4:02 p.m. The vehicle—manufactured by ArianeGroup and operated by Arianespace for ESA—was carrying a new weather satellite into orbit.
The spiral appearance is created when rocket exhaust expands into the thin, low-pressure layers of the upper atmosphere and forms ice crystals or a luminous plume. The rocket’s motion—and in some cases stage rotations or separations—can stretch and twist that plume into a spiral. The BBC reported a similar swirling effect after a SpaceX launch in March.
In New Haven, people waiting to vote outside the Davis Street Arts and Academics School spotted the swirl on Tuesday night. Though skies were clear and the nearly full moon was bright, the lights appeared slightly blurry to onlookers, prompting some to wonder whether a drone was responsible.
This is not the first time Connecticut residents have seen rocket exhaust displays: an August launch from French Guiana also produced a visible exhaust cloud across the state.
Quick facts: Ariane 6 launched at 4:02 p.m. from Kourou, French Guiana; the spiral was caused by exhaust expanding and crystallizing in the upper atmosphere; similar displays followed other recent launches.
Reporting contributed by staff writer Peter Yankowski.