- Striking footage captured a glowing "jellyfish cloud" phenomenon expanding across the night sky
- Visuals of the rare atmospheric spectacle sparked widespread fascination and debate online
- Social media users reacted with fascination and debate over the cause of the luminous atmospheric display
Source: Getty Images
Luminous footage showing a glowing "jellyfish cloud" spreading across the night sky has captivated internet users following a viral video share. The video, posted on Facebook by creators Angie Away & Rae Away on 14 October 2026, captured the striking atmospheric phenomenon over Jacksonville, Florida.
Rare atmospheric spectacle captured on camera
The creators recalled the initial surprise of encountering the phenomenon years ago, remembering how startling and impressive the sight was before learning what caused the distinct cloud shape. They added that following social media reactions from viewers encountering the phenomenon for the first time remains continuously entertaining.
In the clip, a bright light leaves an expanding, translucent plume across the dark sky, creating an effect that closely resembles a giant glowing jellyfish drifting through the upper atmosphere.
SpaceX rocket launches illuminate the night sky
The breathtaking visual is a known atmospheric effect created by rocket launches, such as SpaceX's Falcon 9 missions out of Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. When launches occur near dawn or dusk, sunlight at high altitudes illuminates the expanding exhaust plumes against the dark sky below, creating the iconic "space jellyfish" appearance.
SpaceX has maintained a remarkably busy launch schedule in October 2026 to support various space missions. On 13 October 2026, a Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral carrying the CRS-35 cargo mission to the International Space Station with 6,300 pounds of supplies, producing a glowing cloud visible along the US East Coast. Earlier that week, on 12 October 2026, another Falcon 9 rocket launched 27 Starlink satellites from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, following a 9 October 2026 launch that successfully placed 21 data satellites into orbit for the Space Development Agency.
Watch the Facebook reel here.
Source: UGC
Viewers debate night sky spectacle
The footage quickly gathered hundreds of reactions and comments from social media users, who shared varying theories and expressions of wonder:
@Kelli Jo Johnson said:
"It looks like it's just scraping up against the firmament."
@Starla Raines commented:
"I am so jealous everybody else saw it. Everybody else posted a lot of pictures on Facebook, except for me, and I was up that time of morning getting ready for work inside the house. If I only knew, if people could only give me a heads-up and say, 'hey, starlet, go outside and look at the sky,' I would be so grateful. I would have loved to have seen this. I live my life for things like this. I want to see it, and I'm mad that I didn't get to."
@Mary Adams shared:
"Yes! It was spectacular!"
@Costa Zachos added:
"It's a rocket launch, people 🥱."
@Dalton John Swartland said:
"SpaceX is busy again."
@Mike Reinhart wrote:
"Wow! The rocket separated from its booster! Incredible."
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Source: Briefly News
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