How the 'space jellyfish' phenomenon lights up the night sky and why it happens
SpaceX launches Falcon 9 rockets quite frequently for its missions to get Starlink and other equipment into space.
FILE: SpaceX launch captivates skywatchers across Europe
A video shared from the United Kingdom on Monday, March 24, showed a blue spiral in the night sky after a SpaceX rocket launch from Florida.
Most people hear the term "space jellyfish" and assume it probably has something to do with the animal in our oceans, but it's actually a phenomenon that happens after some rocket launches.
Space jellyfish are typically seen in the sky following a SpaceX rocket launch.
A space jellyfish was seen over Central Florida after SpaceX's launch of another batch of Starlink satellites.
(Orlando Sentinel File/Tribune News Service / Getty Images)
This happens particularly during a Falcon 9 rocket launch, and it's because the rocket's engines expel water vapor and carbon dioxide, according to Space.com.
As the rocket climbs higher into the sky, the temperature drops and water vapor freezes quickly, forming ice crystals that trail behind the rocket.
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PASADENA, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 06: A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket rises after launching from Vandenberg Space Force Base carrying 25 Starlink internet satellites on April 6, 2026 as seen from Pasadena, California.
(Mario Tama / Getty Images)
The result is a jellyfish-shaped plume that can be colorful, or just plain white, like in the photo above.
It's all dependent on the timing of the launch.
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If the rocket launch happens around twilight, the effect can have a rainbow or iridescent-like appearance.
LOMPOC, CA - JANUARY 24: SpaceX, an American aerospace manufacturer, successfully launches a pre-dawn (under a crescent moon) a Falcon 9 rocket with multiple Starlink satellites from Vandenberg Space Force Base on January 24, 2025, in Lompoc, California.
(George Rose / Getty Images)
If it happens in the dark or during the daylight, it's much less likely to be seen.
SpaceX launches Falcon 9 rockets quite frequently for its missions to get Starlink and other equipment into space.
Their primary launch locations are in California and Florida, and occur about every two to three days.