A SpaceX Starlink launch put on a stunning sky show this morning (March 4), as its high-altitude plume was lit by the yet-to-rise sun.
Sometimes likened to a jellyfish given its bulbous, translucent appearance, the effect could be seen over Florida today after the 5:52 a.m. EST (1052 GMT) launch from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
The Falcon 9 rocket lofted 29 Starlink satellites (Group 10-40) into low Earth orbit for SpaceX's broadband internet service.
The Falcon 9's first stage, Booster 1080, completed its 25th flight to space and back with a landing on the droneship "A Shortfall of Gravitas" positioned off the coast of Florida in the Atlantic Ocean. According to SpaceX, it was the 580th landing in the company's history.
The 29 Starlink satellites added to SpaceX's megaconstellation, which is quickly approaching 10,000 units in orbit.
Today's launch was SpaceX's 28th mission of the year, out of more than 600 in the company's history. Twenty-three of the 28 launches in 2026 have been dedicated to building out the Starlink megaconstellation.
Space "jellyfish" aren't all that uncommon; they appear fairly regularly when Falcon 9 rockets launch around dusk or dawn.
At these times, sunlight illuminates exhaust from the rocket's upper stage, which is composed primarily of water vapor and carbon dioxide. The skies, meanwhile, are still relatively dark, allowing these glowing clouds to be seen by observers on the ground.
