Mystery Lights Dance Across the East Coast Sky

On a night meant for meteor showers, something strange lit up the sky. On August 13, 2025, people along the East Coast saw spirals of light twisting above them. These weren't shooting stars. They were something else entirely. The show started after 9 p. m. ET. Videos popped up online from places like Maryland, New York, and even Nebraska. Folks in Algonquin, Illinois, saw the lights appear suddenly. They were watching for meteors but got a surprise instead. So, what caused these spirals? Experts think it was a rocket launch. The Ariane 6 rocket took off from French Guiana around 8:37 p. m. ET. It's a big rocket, about 196 feet tall. It can carry all sorts of stuff into space, like weather satellites and science tools. The spirals might have come from the rocket's upper stage. When rockets dump fuel, it freezes and reflects sunlight. That's what creates the spiral effect. Since there's no air in space, the shape stays perfect. But the Ariane 6 wasn't the only rocket that night. The Vulcan Centaur also launched from Florida at 8:56 p. m. ET. It was carrying satellites for the U. S. Space Force. Some people might have seen its trail too. Rocket launches happen all the time. But seeing the results light up the sky is rare. It's a reminder of how much activity happens above our heads every night.