Did you see a strange cloud on the East Coast?
Many people up before sunrise on Tuesday morning saw a strange cloud. It was the plume from a SpaceX rocket headed for the space station. The post Did you see a strange cloud on the East Coast? first appeared on EarthSky .
On Tuesday morning, October 13, 2026, individuals in the eastern United States, who awoke prior to sunrise, observed an unusual cloud formation. This peculiar phenomenon is known as the "jellyfish effect" and occurs during rocket launches just before dawn or just after dusk. The image above, captured by Greg Diesel Walck, illustrates this extraordinary event.
The jellyfish effect emerged on Tuesday when SpaceX launched a Falcon rocket from Florida, carrying a Dragon spacecraft destined for the International Space Station. This launch took place before dawn, and as the spacecraft ascended through Earth's atmosphere, it released a plume of exhaust. This exhaust trail expanded and became illuminated by the approaching dawn, creating the jellyfish effect. Observers reported seeing the phenomenon from as far away as 800 miles.
The same principle explains why satellites orbiting Earth can be seen before sunrise and after sunset. The sun's rays continue to reach the upper atmosphere, illuminating objects such as satellites or water vapor. NASA's resupply mission to the ISS, launched at the same time as the SpaceX rocket, contributed to the creation of this captivating spectacle.
Written by urgent.news from EarthSky's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
