Trending Now - Jellyfish' Clouds Appear in Florida After Spacex Launch
WHO:
SpaceX
Falcon 9 rocket
Craig Bailey (photographer, Florida Today)
Malcolm Denemark (photographer, Florida Today)
Brooks Garner (meteorologist, FOX 35)
WHAT:
SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket carrying 29 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit.
The launch created a "jellyfish" effect in the sky due to sunlight reflecting off the rocket's exhaust.
The first stage of the Falcon 9 rocket, Booster 1080, completed its 25th flight and landed on the droneship "A Shortfall of Gravitas."
This launch was SpaceX's 28th mission of 2026 and the 580th landing in the company's history.
The 29 Starlink satellites added to SpaceX's megaconstellation, which is approaching 10,000 units in orbit.
WHERE:
Launch took place at Space Launch Complex 40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Brevard County, Florida.
The droneship "A Shortfall of Gravitas" was stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.
WHEN:
The rocket launched on March 4, 2026, at 5:52 a.m. EST (10:52 GMT).
Reports of the "space jellyfish" phenomenon were received around 4:50 a.m. CT on March 4, 2026.
WHY:
The "space jellyfish" phenomenon occurs due to sunlight reflecting off the rocket's exhaust in the upper atmosphere, particularly during dawn or dusk.
HOW:
The Falcon 9 rocket's exhaust, primarily composed of water vapor and carbon dioxide, created the visual effect when illuminated by sunlight.
On March 4, SpaceX successfully launched a Falcon 9 rocket carrying 29 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, creating a stunning "jellyfish" effect in the sky as sunlight reflected off the rocket's exhaust. The first stage of the Falcon 9, known as Booster 1080, completed its 25th flight and landed on the droneship "A Shortfall of Gravitas" in the Atlantic Ocean, marking SpaceX's 28th mission of 2026 and the 580th landing in the company's history. This latest batch of satellites brings SpaceX's megaconstellation closer to the milestone of 10,000 units in orbit.