                        Astronomy Picture of the Day

    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
    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 & Copyright: Michael Seeley
             Text: Cecilia Chirenti (NASA GSFC, UMCP, CRESST II)

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

                      Tomorrow's picture: day and night
     __________________________________________________________________

       Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
            NASA Official: Amber Straughn Specific rights apply.
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                           NASA Science Activation
                             & Michigan Tech. U.

