A glowing streak spotted in the sky on Thursday morning was most likely caused by a Chinese rocket, experts say.
Witnesses reported a bright, linear trail visible around dawn and dusk from several locations.
Jonathan McDowell, an astrophysicist at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory in the US, said: “It was definitely the Chinese Zhuque-3 rocket making its first test flight.
“It passed over the UK and northern Europe at around 05:00 GMT at the end of its first orbit, following launch from China at 04:02 GMT. Chinese upper stages have been previously observed to make long, linear propellant-dump trails.”
Ellie Jarvis, from Clovelly, said: “I’ve never seen anything like it. At first, I wondered whether it might be something like an aurora or a natural phenomenon – like a light pillar.
“I tried to see whether there was something shining a beam of light from across the bay, or perhaps from a ship – but that didn’t seem likely as the light seemed to be so high in the sky.”
A jet contrail was also considered but dismissed because the trail appeared too widespread.
Similar vertical light effects, known as light pillars, can sometimes form when high-altitude ice crystals reflect low-angle sunlight, creating unusual atmospheric displays.