An unusual glowing spiral could be seen in the skies over Stockport on Monday night (24 March).

It's believed to have been caused by leftover fuel from a SpaceX rocket.

The rocket was launched from Florida around 1.50pm local time (5.50pm GMT). It is a reusable rocket, meaning its task was to launch into space then release a payload - for example, a satellite.

After the rocket released its payload, it returned to Earth, releasing leftover fuel on the way down. This fuel froze due to the high altitude, following a spiral pattern caused by the rocket's movement.

The BBC reports that Stockport resident Sonia saw "a swirling galaxy that was moving across the sky", which she'd spotted while out with her telescope.

Residents of Bramhall also caught the spiral, which was visible to the naked eye, and shared pictures on social media.

SpaceX is an astronautics company founded by Elon Musk.

The rocket was carrying out a mission for the US Government's National Reconnaissance Office.

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