The rocket was a Falcon 9 rocket and it was launched at 5:35 AM. We managed to scored a late check out from the hotel and got up early so we could get to a decent viewing site. We were in place when the flash of light lit up the morning. It was not a sunrise, it was the rocket taking off at the horizon. This rocket's first stage is reusable so once it separates from the other stages, it navigates itself to a landing barge some miles out to sea. While it is making it's way down it fires thrusters and the exhaust from the thrusters gets illuminated by the rising sun to create the jellyfish effect. This lasted for more than a half hour after the launch!
Full burners
Heading up and to the east
The jellyfish
Sometimes it looked more like a peeled grape
Different colors
The first stage may still be descending
Very cool effect
Later as the exhaust spread out further one could almost imagine the wanderings of of the first stage as it landed.
It has been 4 years and 34 days since we began our Migration
