Photo via Sommer Simoes
A curious sight in the night sky over the Kingston, Odessa and Napanee region has been identified by space-observers as the upper stage of the Ariane 6 rocket involved in the launch of Sentinel?1D, the fourth satellite in the Copernicus Sentinel-1 series.
On the evening of Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025, local residents reported seeing a bright point of light moving slowly across the sky, followed by a broad, wispy spiral. The sight was captured in photographs and video, widely discussed on local social media platforms.
According to space-trackers and sky-watching enthusiasts, the effect is attributed to the Ariane 6 rocket’s upper stage venting excess propellant and spinning prior to re-entering the atmosphere, following its deployment of the Sentinel-1D satellite from Europe’s spaceport at Guiana Space Centre in French Guiana.
The Sentinel-1D mission, operated by the European Space Agency (ESA) for the Copernicus Programme, is intended to provide weather radar imaging of Earth’s land and oceans.
The rocket followed a northward trajectory over the Atlantic and into polar orbit. The phenomenon was reported as easily visible to the naked eye over eastern Ontario and northern parts of the USA, with the distinctive spiral effect being made visible as the venting fuel was illuminated by sunlight at high altitude.
There is no indication of danger to the public as a result of the re-entry. Rockets and satellite upper stages typically burn up on re-entry, and the risk to people on the ground is very low.