A SpaceX rocket launch on Oct. 13 produced a glowing “jellyfish” cloud visible across parts of the Southeast and Mid‑Atlantic, meteorologists and observers reported, with the luminous plume appearing after a predawn Falcon 9 liftoff from Cape Canaveral.
The phenomenon, widely shared on social media and captured by local TV crews, is caused when a rocket’s high‑altitude exhaust plume expands into very thin air and catches sunlight, producing the so‑called jellyfish effect, meteorologist Matthew Cappucci wrote for The Washington Post.
The launch carried a Cargo Dragon resupply ship bound for the International Space Station, and the Washington Post reported the flight was carrying more than three tons of science equipment and supplies; the mission was expected to reach the station after about a 52‑hour trip.
Local stations also published footage and eyewitness reports of the jellyfish cloud over Florida, Georgia and Maryland; Tampa Bay’s TV outlet WTSP posted video and said local viewers saw the glowing plume after the Falcon 9 ascent.
Scientists call this a noctilucent or high‑altitude illumination phenomenon when sunlight hits exhaust and frozen particles in the upper atmosphere before sunrise. The Washington Post explained that when a rocket injects gases and moisture into those altitudes, the plume can fan outward like “the tentacles of a jellyfish.”
The visual effect has appeared after other high‑altitude launches; outlets noted similar displays in major cities after past Falcon 9 missions. Videos and photos circulated on social platforms within minutes of the Oct. 13 liftoff.
For business and investor readers following the company, our site previously covered SpaceX’s resupply schedule and the company’s market signals; readers may find background in our CRS‑35 resupply preview and coverage of SpaceX’s Nasdaq listing context.
Sources
- The Washington Post — reported the Oct. 13 Falcon 9 launch from Cape Canaveral, described the jellyfish cloud mechanism, and noted the Cargo Dragon carried more than three tons of supplies to the ISS.
- WTSP — published local video and eyewitness accounts showing the glowing jellyfish plume visible over the Tampa Bay region after the launch.
