The northeast sky put on a show for some us Thursday morning after SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket launched in central Florida.
If the sky was clear enough, you may have spotted a phenomenon known as a “space jellyfish” or “jellyfish cloud” from the rocket’s exhaust.
But how does it form?
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Severe Weather Team 2 Chief Meteorologist Brad Nitz says after the launch, the rocket’s exhaust rapidly expands in the very thin upper atmosphere.
As it lifts into the rising sunlight at higher altitude, Nitz says the exhaust illuminates creating the jellyfish shape effect. It only happens for launches just before sunrise or just after sunset.
Thursday’s launch happened after 6:04 a.m. and the “space jellyfish” was visible in parts of Georgia, Florida, North Carolina and South Carolina.
Have any photos or videos of the Falcon 9 launch? Email us at newstip@wsbtv.com
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