SpaceX A strange swirl in the sky seen over much of Britain and Europe this week wasn’t the result of alien activity but rather a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.

SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket with the Dragon spacecraft carrying Axiom-4 astronauts heads to the International Space Station.

The burst of light wasn't from a comet, but from SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket launch in California around 6:30 p.m. local time on Friday night.

SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket with the Dragon spacecraft carrying Axiom-4 astronauts ... The smoke from the Falcon 9 rocket creates a nebula-like ring around the rocket as it shoots into the night sky.