SpaceX is scheduled to launch a rocket from Cape Canaveral at 6:30 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 20, offering Gulf Coast viewers a possible early-morning skywatching opportunity.
Gulf Coast News meteorologist Lauren Hope said cool, dry air should support favorable viewing conditions across the region, with mostly clear skies and morning temperatures in the mid-60s. The outlet also reported no expected concern from lightning or clouds at Cape Canaveral because of stable air.
From Florida’s Gulf Coast, viewers should look northeast after the launch. A rocket lifting off near sunrise can sometimes create the so-called space jellyfish effect: a glowing, jellyfish-shaped cloud caused when sunlight reaches the rocket’s high-altitude exhaust plume and refracts through the fumes.
The effect is typically visible for up to 10 minutes after launch, according to Gulf Coast News.
