SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch creates glowing plume over Surfside Beach, South Carolina

On October 13, 2026, in Surfside Beach, South Carolina, USA, @catsunrisechick shared a striking video of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch illuminating the early-morning sky. In the video, a bright, fan-shaped plume glows above the ocean horizon, creating a spectacular contrast against the dark blue sky and the orange hues of the approaching sunrise. According to reports, the mysterious glowing light was produced by a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying out the CRS-35 cargo resupply mission. The rocket lifted off from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral, Florida, at 6:33 a.m. Eastern Time and became visible along the South Carolina coast approximately two minutes later. The phenomenon, often described as a "space jellyfish," occurs when sunlight illuminates the rocket's expanding exhaust gases high in the atmosphere while the ground below remains dark. This creates a luminous, jellyfish-shaped formation visible across coastal areas.