This is Not a Space Jellyfish, Just a SpaceX Rocket Launch

On February 4, 2026, a bright glow appeared in the sky over Florida that morning, and people were literally “stopped in their tracks” as they gazed upwards in an attempt to catch a glimpse of the gigantic and almost unearthly apparition hovering in the sky. These long tendrils were connected to a massive dome-shaped head, and they were all surrounded by a delicate cloud of pastel pink, blue, and gold colors.

At 5:52 am local time, the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket took off from Launch Complex 40 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, transporting 29 Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit on its 25th mission. The rocket was part of Operation Starlink 10-40, the 28th mission for SpaceX in 2026. It was no surprise that the vast majority of the previous missions had been focused on enhancing their broadband network, which was just shy of having 10,000 satellites in orbit.

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Just over one minute after launch, the rocket was at an altitude at which it was possible for sunlight to illuminate the exhaust plume, yet the dark surface was invisible. The engines of the upper stage burned a gas that was mostly composed of water vapor and CO2. As the rocket soared into the upper atmosphere, the gas expanded into a massive cloud in an instant. As sunlight passed through the crystals, the whole exhaust plume was illuminated from behind, looking like a blazing bell with long streamers of smoke behind it. This was visible for a few minutes, as the gas expanded to catch the early rays of sunlight.

There were numerous photographers in the Space Coast area, and they captured some truly breathtaking shots. Time-lapse videos showed the rocket traveling along with a massive trail of light that transformed into the jellyfish shape. Close-up images revealed that the colors persisted throughout the shop as the trail faded. One of the best photographs was obtained near the Titusville region, with the full phenomenon captured against a dark background.

When a Falcon 9 rocket launches from Florida at dawn or early morning, when darkness is just beginning to give way to light, you get a rather consistent spectacle. The timing of the launch is critical because the sun catches up with the rocket’s exhaust high in the sky, but not low enough to pose problems for those on the ground. As the sunlight reaches the plume at precisely the perfect angle, it blooms outwards unevenly, resulting in this magnificent spherical top with wispy tendrils hanging out to the side that resemble tentacles. Because this show takes place up in the atmosphere, where the air is extremely thin, it can be seen for hundreds of kilometers.

After the launch, B1080 safely returned to Earth, landing on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic, thanks to some excellent piloting, and, as we’ve seen before, all 29 satellites launched as planned, bringing SpaceX closer to its goal of providing global internet coverage to even more people.
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