SpaceX launch creates jellyfish-like light effect
The gist
A SpaceX Falcon 9 carrying NASA's 35th resupply mission lifted off around 5:33 a.m. from Cape Canaveral.
The effect appears when sunlight hits the exhaust plume at altitude while the ground stays dark.
How it unfolded
- Jul 9, 2026A 5:21 a.m. SpaceX Falcon 9 launch from Cape Canaveral produced "space jellies" seen in Tallahassee, Naples and St. Augustine, Florida.
- Oct 13, 2026A SpaceX Falcon 9 and Dragon spacecraft lifted off around 5:33 a.m. from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on NASA's 35th commercial resupply mission, creating a glowing "jellyfish" effect in the predawn sky over Central Florida.
- Oct 13, 2026After an approximately 52-hour flight, the Dragon spacecraft was expected to autonomously dock with the space station on Thursday at about 11 a.m.; following stage separation, the Falcon 9's first-stage booster was set to attempt a landing at Landing Zone 40.