You were not alone! If you looked up early Tuesday morning and spotted what looked like a giant glowing jellyfish floating in the sky, you weren’t alone. The unusual sight had people looking up in awe, wondering what was happening above them. !Qué espectáculo!!
“My son said to me: ‘mami llegaron Los Aliens’. He is only 6 years old, imagine what went through his head,” commented a mom on social media.
The mysterious-looking display was caused by a SpaceX rocket launch at 6:33 a.m., sending a resupply mission to the International Space Station.
As the rocket climbed higher into the atmosphere, it left behind a trail of exhaust that expanded into a glowing cloud. With the Sun still below the horizon for people on the ground, sunlight illuminated the exhaust high above, creating a bright, otherworldly shape that looked like a jellyfish drifting through the sky.
What Exactly is a “Space Jellyfish”?
Despite its appearance, the phenomenon has a scientific explanation. Often called a “space jellyfisth,” the display can occur when rockets launch shortly before sunrise or just after sunset.
Here’s how it works: While the ground remains dark, the rocket’s exhaust plume reaches altitudes where it can catch the Sun’s rays. The illuminated gases spread out, forming a glowing shape that can stretch across the sky like the tentacles of a giant jellyfish.
For anyone unfamiliar with the phenomenon, the sight can be sorprendente – surprising, to say the least. Some might even mistake it for something straight out of a science-fiction movie.
But there’s no mystery from outer space beyond the rocket itself. It’s simply a combination of sunlight, atmospheric conditions and a rocket making its journey beyond Earth.
Image Source
- Space Jellyfish: Wikipedia
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