Pillar of light in UK skies linked to Chinese rocket test flight

A bright vertical glow seen at dawn across parts of the UK is likely a fuel-dump trail from China's Zhuque-3 rocket during its first test flight.

Residents woke to a striking vertical glow in the early hours, seen across several towns as dawn broke. Officials say the glow most likely came from a Chinese rocket performing its first test flight.

Observers reported a bright, straight streak that stretched across the sky around sunrise and sunset from different locations. The event followed a launch from China at 04:02 GMT, with the object crossing over the United Kingdom and northern Europe about an hour later, around 05:00 GMT.

What caused the light? Experts point to the Zhuque-3 rocket. Dr. Jonathan McDowell, an astrophysicist at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, explained that the sighting matches the trajectory of China’s Zhuque-3 during its inaugural flight, and that the upper stage can create long, linear vapour trails when fuel is dumped in space.

Witness accounts and possible explanations

One eyewitness from Clovelly described the scene as unlike anything she had seen before. She initially wondered if the phenomenon was a natural display similar to a polar light or an aurora, and she also checked for a light beam from a distant ship, which proved unlikely since the glow was very high in the sky.

Another possibility—an ordinary jet contrail—was ruled out because the trail appeared unusually widespread and persistent. In many cases, similar vertical light effects, known as light pillars, form when sunlight reflects off high-altitude ice crystals, creating unusual atmospheric displays.

Why such displays happen

Light pillars are an optical phenomenon that can occur when tiny ice crystals in very cold air reflect sunlight or the glow of the rising sun at low angles, producing a column-like appearance in the sky.

Experts emphasise that while the sight was dramatic, it is not rare for such rocket launches to create striking sky effects due to the way exhaust and dumped fuel interact with high-altitude conditions.

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Expert comment: Dr. McDowell and other scientists stress that this is a textbook example of how rocket fuel dumps in space can craft tall, vertical light structures visible far from the launch site.

Summary

The glowing pillar was most likely caused by a fuel-dump trail from the Zhuque-3 rocket’s first flight. The display serves as a reminder of how high-altitude rocket activity can produce dramatic sky displays visible far from the launch site. Experts say such effects are explainable by atmospheric conditions, and this observation underscores the ongoing impact of spaceflight on everyday skies.