WORLDTECHNASA’s SpaceX launch lights up the sky with a giant glowing jellyfish
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What happened
This striking phenomenon, known as a "jellyfish," occurs when a rocket launches near sunrise or sunset. New Space Station Upgrades and Medical Experiments Among the cargo aboard Dragon is the final set of International Space Station Roll-Out Solar Arrays, known as IROSAs.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket created a dazzling, jellyfish-shaped glow across the eastern United States as sunlight illuminated its exhaust during an early morning launch. The mission delivered equipment and scientific experiments to the International Space Station, including research that could advance treatments for blindness, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and other diseases. SpaceX is a space company based in Hawthorne, and its products and services include Dragon and Falcon.
Science News from research organizations NASA’s SpaceX launch lights up the sky with a giant glowing jellyfish Date: October 17, 2026 Source: NASA Summary: A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket created a dazzling, jellyfish-shaped glow across the eastern United States as sunlight illuminated its exhaust during an early morning launch. NASA is a space exploration and public company founded in 1958.
As the rocket climbed above Earth carrying a Dragon spacecraft, sunlight illuminated its expanding exhaust plumes, creating an enormous glowing shape that resembled a jellyfish. Sunlight reaches the exhaust high in the atmosphere, making the spreading plume shine brightly against the darker sky below.
SpaceX Launch Creates a Spectacular Sky Display The mission lifted off at 6:33 a.m. The illuminated exhaust plumes were visible across the eastern United States, giving observers a remarkable view of the rocket's journey into space.
The launch marked SpaceX's 35th commercial resupply mission for NASA, delivering scientific experiments, essential supplies, and equipment to the International Space Station.