Did you see it? Ariane 6 rocket creates dazzling scene in the sky Tuesday

PORTLAND, Maine — The full moon wasn't the only scene in the sky over Maine Tuesday evening.

Around 6 p.m., some saw the exhaust plume from Europe's Ariane 6 rocket.

It launched from French Guiana today at 4:02 p.m. EST, carrying the Sentinel-1D Earth-observation satellite. The launch and deployment were successful.

The spiral we saw was its exhaust plume, lit up by the sun at a high altitude.

Tuesday's launch was the fourth for Ariane 6.

During its most recent launch on Aug. 13, the swirl in the sky was also visible over the northeast.

As more advanced rockets are launched into space, and more frequently, sights like these will become more common.