A SpaceX rocket launch illuminated the darkening skies of California, creating striking views seen across the state and even beyond.
Photos shared on social media show the Falcon 9 rocket thundering off the ground June 24 from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in Santa Barbara County and soaring overhead. And due to the twilight launch window, the spaceflight looked especially vibrant and prominent as the 230-foot rocket blazed on a southern trajectory on its way to deliver its payload to space.
Some visuals even revealed the launch created an ethereal phenomenon in the sky commonly referred to as “space jellyfish.”
Here’s a recap of the recent launch, as well as a look at some of the captivating photos from the mission.
SpaceX rocket launch at Vandenberg deploys Starlink
SpaceX got its two-stage Falcon 9 rocket off the ground at 8:30 p.m. PT Wednesday, June 24, at the Vandenberg Space Force Base. Liftoff took place at Space Launch Complex-4 East – the site SpaceX leases from the U.S. Space Force, which manages the military base.
The world’s most active rocket then traveled on a southern trajectory to deliver a batch of the commercial spaceflight company’s Starlink internet satellites to low-Earth orbit – a region of space closer to the atmosphere. Following stage separation, the upper stage continued on into space while the rocket booster returned to land on SpaceX’s drone ship “Of Course I Still Love You,” stationed in the Pacific Ocean, so it can be reused on future missions.
The mission marked the 43rd launch of 2026 from Vandenberg, which saw a record 71 launches in 2025, according to the Space Force.
SpaceX, which tech entrepreneur Elon Musk founded in 2002, confirmed on social media site X that the mission was a success.
See photos of Vandenberg rocket launch
The gallery below shows some photos from the SpaceX launch, which was visible in not just California, but even as far as neighboring Arizona.
Twilight launch creates ‘space jellyfish’ in California
Notably, the launch appeared to create a jellyfish effect.
The phenomenon, also known as “space jellyfish,” occurs when a launch is illuminated by the sun hitting the rocket’s contrail – or plume of exhaust – while an observer is in relative local darkness.
The result of physics and timing, space jellyfish can only occur when a rocket lifts off in the hours before dawn or around dusk. In this case, the twilight sky around sunset led to the conditions that allowed the sun’s rays to intersect with and highlight the expanding exhaust plume over the horizon.
The final product? A cosmic apparition that appears to resemble, well, a jellyfish.
Contributing: Jennifer Sangalang, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida
Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at elagatta@usatodayco.com
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Last night’s SpaceX rocket launch creates striking views in California
Reporting by Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY NETWORK / Ventura County Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY NETWORK | USA TODAY Network
