Tallahassee, north Florida residents spot SpaceX 'jellyfish' again
Florida's early risers were graced once again with a vibrant "space jellyfish" billowing across the morning sky. On July 9 at 5:25 a.m., SpaceX launched a rocket that left behind a captivating contrail for Tallahassee and north Florida residents to marvel over in the quiet of the morning. "That was one of the best launches I've seen!" Ben Hall, the Blountstown fire chief, told the Tallahassee Democrat. " We regularly watch them from our yard." The phenomenon occurs when a launch is illuminated by the sun hitting the rocket's contrail – or plume of exhaust – while an observer is in relative local darkness, as previously reported . This is the second time this year the Big Bend has been able to spot the sea creature-like effect. Thursday's sighting over Tallahassee wasn't the usual 'fluffy' jellyfish but probably the brightest I've ever seen!" Debbie Pujol Mortham told the Democrat. "Beautiful!" When was the Florida rocket launch? Liftoff occurred at 5:25 a.m. Thursday from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The mission, known as Starlink 10-42, featured a Falcon 9 rocket carrying the latest batch of 29 Starlink internet satellites to orbit. It was also a record-breaking launch for SpaceX, as this Falcon 9 first-stage booster saw its 36th launch and landing . It remains to be seen how many flights the company will obtain from this fleet-leading booster. When is the next rocket launch from Florida? The next launch from Florida is set for no earlier than 3:15 a.m. Tuesday, July 14, from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Expect to see a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch on another Starlink mission. If needed, the July 14 launch window extends until 7:15 a.m. Will there be another SpaceX 'jellyfish' sighting? The timing has to be just right for the plume to catch and reflect the rays of light, making this a rare delight. While rocket launches along the Space Coast aren't uncommon, catching the "jellyfish" wonder is. The effect is most likely to be seen when rocket launches occur at dusk or dawn.
Source: Yahoo