SOUTHEAST — Early risers across Georgia, Florida, North and South Carolina, and potentially Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware are in for a rare and stunning sky show Thursday morning as a SpaceX rocket launches from Cape Canaveral, Florida at 5:26 AM. The rocket exhaust rapidly expanding in the thin upper atmosphere will create a glowing jellyfish-like formation visible just before 5:30 AM as the vehicle rises into sunlight approximately three and a half minutes after launch. The timing of this launch is described as near perfect for creating the spectacular visual effect.
SpaceX Launches at 526AM From Cape Canaveral With Jellyfish Visible Just Before 530AM
The SpaceX rocket lifts off from Cape Canaveral at 5:26 AM Thursday and takes approximately three and a half minutes to rise high enough to catch the rising sunlight while the ground below remains dark. That precise window between surface darkness and upper atmosphere illumination is what creates the dramatic glowing jellyfish appearance visible across a wide swath of the Southeast…