NPR by Bill Chappell 5/6/2022
Jellyfish are a common sight along the Florida coast — but people who watched the latest rocket launch from the Kennedy Space Center were treated to a unique sight.
Friday morning's SpaceX launch generated a visual phenomenon known as a "space jellyfish," rewarding people who got up early to see the Falcon 9 rocket's launch with a striking spectacle: an ethereal cloud of illuminated gases, highlighted against the pre-dawn darkness.
The space jellyfish phenomenon occurs when a rocket lifts off in the hours around dawn or dusk. A spectator might be standing in total darkness — but as the craft reaches high altitudes, the sun's rays illuminate the plume of gases in its trail. The effect resembles a jellyfish medusa's bell and tentacles.
More:
https://www.npr.org/2022/05/06/1097089192/space-jellyfish-spacex
