A neon-blue, jellyfish-shaped noctilucent cloud was visible over Tampa Bay around 6 a.m. after a SpaceX dawn launch from Cape Canaveral. Meteorologist Courteney Jacobazzi says the rocket exhaust rose into the very cold upper atmosphere, where it froze into ice crystals that refracted the sun's early rays. High-altitude winds then stretched and folded the plume, creating the striking, shifting shapes observers saw.
Neon-Blue 'Jellyfish' Cloud Over Tampa Bay After SpaceX Dawn Launch
10 Tampa Bay News
Did you notice an unusual, neon-blue cloud over the Tampa Bay area Thursday morning? Around sunrise—about 6 a.m.—observers reported a striking noctilucent cloud that appeared after a SpaceX dawn launch from Cape Canaveral.
How It Formed
10 Tampa Bay News meteorologist Courteney Jacobazzi explains that the phenomenon occurs when a rocket launches near sunrise and its exhaust rises into the very cold upper atmosphere. "That exhaust freezes in the upper atmosphere because it's very cold up there," she said. "As it rises, the ice crystals refract sunlight and produce the neon-blue glow that makes them so striking."
Why It Looked Like A Jellyfish
The cloud's distinctive, jellyfish-like shape comes from the atmosphere's fluid motions. High-altitude winds stretch, fold and disperse the exhaust plume, sculpting the ice-crystal formation into dramatic, shifting shapes as sunlight illuminates it.
This display is similar to natural noctilucent clouds—high-altitude ice-crystal clouds usually seen at higher latitudes—but rocket plumes can create comparable glowing effects at lower latitudes when timing and conditions line up.
When: About 6 a.m. | Where: Tampa Bay area, following a SpaceX launch from Cape Canaveral.
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