Astronomy Picture of the Day

   [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                                2026 March 19
        [2]A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch produces a glowing cloud,
       reminiscent of a jellyfish. Please see the explanation for more
                            detailed information.

                       Launch Plume: SpaceX Jellyfish
               Image Credit & [3]Copyright: [4]Michael Seeley
     Text: [5]Cecilia Chirenti ([6]NASA [7]GSFC, [8]UMCP, [9]CRESST II)

   Explanation: Even if you live with your [10]head in the clouds, you
   won’t find a [11]jellyfish like this one very often. The [12]featured
   image shows a [13]SpaceX [14]Falcon 9 rocket launch from [15]Cape
   Canaveral in [16]Florida on March 4. The launch happened 52 minutes
   before [17]sunrise, and the [18]second stage rocket [19]exhaust plume
   was high enough in the sky to catch the light of the [20]rising sun,
   while the photographer was still in the dark. This combination of light
   and shadow, possible at [21]dawn or dusk, makes the exhaust, mostly
   [22]water vapor and [23]carbon dioxide, appear as a glowing cloud. It
   only looks like it's going down, as the rocket follows the
   [24]curvature of the Earth on its way to [25]space. A related effect is
   the [26]twilight phenomenon, which causes colorful [27]contrails
   sometimes [28]mistaken for UFOs. But, in case you are wondering: real
   [29]jellyfish were sent to space by [30]NASA in the 1990s as part of a
   [31]science experiment.

                      Tomorrow's picture: day and night
     __________________________________________________________________

      [32]< | [33]Archive | [34]Submissions | [35]Index | [36]Search |
   [37]Calendar | [38]RSS | [39]Education | [40]About APOD | [41]Discuss |
                                    [42]>
     __________________________________________________________________

    Authors & editors: [43]Robert Nemiroff ([44]MTU) & [45]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([46]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Amber Straughn [47]Specific rights apply.
            [48]NASA Web Privacy, [49]Accessibility, [50]Notices;
                A service of: [51]ASD at [52]NASA / [53]GSFC,
                         [54]NASA Science Activation
                           & [55]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2603/jellyfish.jpg
   3. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
   4. https://www.mseeley.net/
   5. https://science.gsfc.nasa.gov/sci/bio/cecilia.bertonimarthahadlerchirenti
   6. https://www.nasa.gov/
   7. https://www.nasa.gov/goddard/
   8. https://www.astro.umd.edu/people/cecilia-chirenti
   9. https://cresst2.umd.edu/
  10. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VXERT7uu3Y
  11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_jellyfish
  12. https://www.flickr.com/photos/76093456@N04/55129715198
  13. https://www.spacex.com/
  14. https://www.spacex.com/vehicles/falcon-9
  15. https://www.kennedyspacecenter.com/
  16. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida
  17. https://www.weather.gov/box/sunmoon
  18. https://www.nasa.gov/history/75-years-ago-first-launch-of-a-two-stage-rocket/
  19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap251015.html
  20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240921.html
  21. https://www.rmg.co.uk/stories/time/when-dawn-dusk-twilight
  22. https://science.nasa.gov/earth/earth-observatory/global-maps/water-vapor/
  23. https://science.nasa.gov/earth/explore/earth-indicators/carbon-dioxide/
  24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230513.html
  25. https://www.nasa.gov/general/where-does-space-begin-we-asked-a-nasa-scientist-episode-43/
  26. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twilight_phenomenon
  27. https://science.nasa.gov/earth/earth-observatory/criss-crossing-contrails-80476/
  28. https://nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov/news/39/
  29. https://ocean.si.edu/ocean-life/invertebrates/jellyfish-and-comb-jellies
  30. https://www.nasa.gov/
  31. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/article/what-space-jellyfish-tell-us-about-interplanetary-travel/
  32. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260318.html
  33. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  34. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  35. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  36. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  37. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  38. https://apod.com/feed.rss
  39. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  40. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  41. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=260319
  42. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260320.html
  43. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  44. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  45. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  46. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  47. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  48. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  49. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/
  50. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/
  51. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  52. https://www.nasa.gov/
  53. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  54. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  55. http://www.mtu.edu/