Ethereal halo of light around full moon spotted during recent SpaceX rocket launch – Space.com
An ethereal halo of light around the fullmooncreated by ice crystals from overhanging clouds recently shone bright during a SpaceX rocket launch in Florida, setting the stage for a stunning time-lapse photo that captured the luminous ring and streaking rocket in the same frame.
On Nov. 27, SpaceX launched one of its Falcon 9 rockets at 11:20 p.m. EST from Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The rocket, which was carrying 23 Starlink satellites, promptly made it out of Earth's atmosphere and safely delivered its payload into low-Earth orbit.
At the same time, November's full moonwas also high in the skyand surrounded by a ring of light. The luminous halo was created by light reflecting off tiny ice crystals fromcirrus clouds thin and patchy clouds that form between 20,000 and 40,000 feet (6,100 and 12,200 meters) above Earth's surface,Spaceweather.com reported.
The rocket also punched a hole through the icy clouds shortly after launch but this was not the cause of the halo. It is unclear when the halo emerged but the time-lapse image spans exactly 128 seconds, which means the ring stayed intact for at least this long.
Related: What is a moon halo?
Similar light arcs and halos are alsooccasionally spotted around the sunwhen the ice crystals from cirrus clouds perfectly align between our home star and an observer.
Photographer Gilbert Plumer took a time-lapse image of the rocket launch from Rockledge, around 20 miles (32 kilometers) from Cape Canaveral. The prolonged photo shows the fiery trajectory of the ascending rocket with the halo in the background.
Thenumber of SpaceX launches is increasingyear on year as the company expands itsStarlinkconstellation, which aims to make the internet more widely accessible across the globe. But, despite setting the stage for some cool photos, these more frequent launches may not be such a good thing, Plumer told Live Science in an email.
"The Starlink schedule has increased so much that there is a launch every week," Plumer said. The increase in orbiting satellites is making the sky much brighter than it used to be, which isalready causing problems for astronomers, he added
In July, new research revealed that Starlink satellites are also "leaking" radio waves thatcould hinder radio astronomers too.
The company has also been criticized because satellites canfall out of orbitandcrash back to Earthduring solar storms.
Although this rocket launch was not the cause of the halo of light, Falcon 9 rockets have beenlinked to other visual phenomenain the past, includingbright red streaks of aurora-like lightthat appear in the sky after the rockets open "holes" in the upper atmosphere, andwhirlpool-like swirls of light, known as SpaceX spirals, which are created when frozen fuel is dumped from the rockets' spinning secondary boosters.
View original post here:
Ethereal halo of light around full moon spotted during recent SpaceX rocket launch - Space.com
- Exclusive: SpaceX employee claims he was fired for flagging despicable safety practices that put lives at risk - The Independent - July 28th, 2025 [July 28th, 2025]
- SpaceX Crew-11 astronauts arrive in Florida ahead of launch to space station (video) - Space - July 28th, 2025 [July 28th, 2025]
- What time is SpaceX's Crew-11 astronaut launch to the ISS on July 31? - Space - July 28th, 2025 [July 28th, 2025]
- Elon Musk's SpaceX Moves Bitcoin For The First Time In 3 Years: Is A Sell-Off Incoming? - Yahoo Finance - July 28th, 2025 [July 28th, 2025]
- 2 SpaceX launches to light up the sky over California this week - KTLA - July 28th, 2025 [July 28th, 2025]
- SpaceX to Launch Two Rockets Over California This Week - LAmag - July 28th, 2025 [July 28th, 2025]
- SpaceX to launch Starlink Group 10-29 with 27 smallsats on Tuesday from the Cape - news.satnews.com - July 28th, 2025 [July 28th, 2025]
- 2 SpaceX launches to light up the sky over California this week - Yahoo Home - July 28th, 2025 [July 28th, 2025]
- SpaceX Dragon Moved To New Parking Spot On Space Station - MSN - July 28th, 2025 [July 28th, 2025]
- SpaceX Set for Tuesday Rocket Launch from Cape Canaveral, Watch Live on Space Coast Daily! - Space Coast Daily - July 28th, 2025 [July 28th, 2025]
- SpaceX to launch Starlink Group 13-4 with 19 smallsats from California on Wednesday - news.satnews.com - July 28th, 2025 [July 28th, 2025]
- Will Starlink IPO Before SpaceX? What Investors Should Know. - Nasdaq - July 28th, 2025 [July 28th, 2025]
- Will Starlink IPO Before SpaceX? What Investors Should Know. - The Motley Fool - July 28th, 2025 [July 28th, 2025]
- A SpaceX rocket may be visible in Arizona this weekend: Where, when to see Falcon 9 - The Arizona Republic - July 27th, 2025 [July 27th, 2025]
- SpaceX rocket lights up early morning sky above Hampton Roads - WTKR - July 27th, 2025 [July 27th, 2025]
- Is there a SpaceX launch today? What to know about liftoff, sonic booms in California - Ventura County Star - July 27th, 2025 [July 27th, 2025]
- Saturday mornings SpaceX launch puts on a show over the Outer Banks - Island Free Press - July 27th, 2025 [July 27th, 2025]
- Meet the SpaceX Crew-11 astronauts launching to the ISS on July 31 - Space - July 27th, 2025 [July 27th, 2025]
- This Was Supposed to Be the Year China Started Catching Up With SpaceX - The New York Times - July 27th, 2025 [July 27th, 2025]
- SpaceX launches NASA's TRACERS mission to protect Earth from space weather (video) - Space - July 27th, 2025 [July 27th, 2025]
- SEE IT: SpaceX launch in Florida can be seen from ABC13's viewing area - WSET - July 27th, 2025 [July 27th, 2025]
- NASA's SpaceX Crew-11 arrives at Florida's Kennedy Space Center ahead of Thursday launch - FOX 35 Orlando - July 27th, 2025 [July 27th, 2025]
- SpaceX launch spotted over Kodak - Yahoo Home - July 27th, 2025 [July 27th, 2025]
- SpaceX Dragon carrying 4 astronauts zooms back to Earth | Space photo of the day for July 25, 2025 - Space - July 27th, 2025 [July 27th, 2025]
- SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket spotted in Eastern N.C. skies - Yahoo Home - July 27th, 2025 [July 27th, 2025]
- The Problem With Tesla & SpaceX - Medium - July 27th, 2025 [July 27th, 2025]
- The Satellite Internet Revolution: How SpaceX's Starlink is Reshaping Global Tech Infrastructure Investment - AInvest - July 27th, 2025 [July 27th, 2025]
- SpaceX launches Falcon 9 rocket early Saturday morning from Florida's Space Coast - FOX 35 Orlando - July 27th, 2025 [July 27th, 2025]
- Amazon and SpaceX Undercut Competition in Tennessee BEAD Bidding - Broadband Breakfast - July 24th, 2025 [July 24th, 2025]
- SpaceX launches a pair of NASA satellites to probe the origins of space weather - Ars Technica - July 24th, 2025 [July 24th, 2025]
- Elon Now Facing the Possibility That SpaceX Will Never Get Starship Working - Yahoo Home - July 24th, 2025 [July 24th, 2025]
- SpaceX launches NASA's TRACERS mission to protect Earth from space weather (video) - MSN - July 24th, 2025 [July 24th, 2025]
- Mexico removes SpaceX platform from Gulf after unauthorised operations - bne IntelliNews - July 24th, 2025 [July 24th, 2025]
- SpaceX and NASA risk being left without Starship - Universe Space Tech - July 24th, 2025 [July 24th, 2025]
- From SpaceX to xAI: How ETFs Are Packaging Private Assets - Yahoo Finance - July 24th, 2025 [July 24th, 2025]
- FAA Allows SpaceX to Drop Starship Rocket Bits on Sacred Hawaiian Island - Gizmodo - July 22nd, 2025 [July 22nd, 2025]
- SpaceX aborts satellite launch 11 seconds before liftoff (video) - Space - July 22nd, 2025 [July 22nd, 2025]
- Elon Musks SpaceX Breaks Its Bitcoin Silence with $153M Shock Transfer - TipRanks - July 22nd, 2025 [July 22nd, 2025]
- After Fight With Musk, Trump Reportedly Ordered Review of Government SpaceX Contracts - Futurism - July 22nd, 2025 [July 22nd, 2025]
- Elon Musks SpaceX Moves $153 Million in Bitcoin for First Time in Over Three Years - Finance Magnates - July 22nd, 2025 [July 22nd, 2025]
- SpaceX Wallet Springs to Life With $153M Bitcoin Transfer, First Move Since 2022 - Yahoo Finance - July 22nd, 2025 [July 22nd, 2025]
- SpaceX Scrubs Falcon 9 Mission 11 Seconds Before Liftoff Due To Unspecified Reason - Mashable India - July 22nd, 2025 [July 22nd, 2025]
- Trump Administration Seeks SpaceX Alternatives for Golden Dome Project - The Information - July 22nd, 2025 [July 22nd, 2025]
- SpaceX Moves $152M BTC After Three Years Is Elon Musk Looking to Dump Bitcoin? - Cryptonews - July 22nd, 2025 [July 22nd, 2025]
- SpaceX Touches Its Bitcoin for the First Time in 3 YearsOnchain Detectives Take Notice - Bitcoin.com News - July 22nd, 2025 [July 22nd, 2025]
- Popular bank makes investing in ChatGPT and SpaceX stock possible - TheStreet - July 22nd, 2025 [July 22nd, 2025]
- Why SpaceX just moved $153M in Bitcoin after three years - TheStreet - July 22nd, 2025 [July 22nd, 2025]
- Elon Musk's SpaceX moves $153M in Bitcoin for first time in 3 years - Crypto Briefing - July 22nd, 2025 [July 22nd, 2025]
- SpaceX moves 1,308 Bitcoin in three years... Amounts to $152.91 million - bloomingbit - July 22nd, 2025 [July 22nd, 2025]
- WATCH LIVE at 5:27 P.M.: SpaceX gears up for Falcon 9 launch from Florida coast - WKMG - July 22nd, 2025 [July 22nd, 2025]
- SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket could be visible over Arizona: Where, when to look up - The Arizona Republic - July 20th, 2025 [July 20th, 2025]
- SpaceX Falcon 9: 24 Starlink Satellites Launched in Second Mission of the Week - techi.com - July 20th, 2025 [July 20th, 2025]
- Monday night SpaceX rocket launch from Florida: Where to watch in Sebastian, Vero Beach - Treasure Coast News - July 20th, 2025 [July 20th, 2025]
- Amazon launches more Kuiper internet satellites with help from rival: 'Big thanks to SpaceX' - CNBC - July 20th, 2025 [July 20th, 2025]
- UPDATE: SpaceX launches second rocket this week from Vandenberg Space Force Base - KSBY News - July 20th, 2025 [July 20th, 2025]
- Incredible Views Of SpaceX Starship Reentering Earth's Atmosphere - MSN - July 20th, 2025 [July 20th, 2025]
- Starship Flight 10: Will SpaceX really be ready in three weeks? - Space Explored - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- Watch: SpaceX spacecraft carrying crew splashes down with sonic boom off San Diego coast - Yahoo - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- How much is a share of SpaceX? How to buy stock in Elon Musks spaceflight company - Florida Today - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- NASA, SpaceX target July 31 for Crew-11 launch to the ISS - Spaceflight Now - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- A Collab Among Competitors? Why Amazon Is Partnering With SpaceX on Satellite Launches - Inc.com - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- SpaceX delivers for Amazon launches Project Kuiper-01s smallsats from the Cape on Wednesday - news.satnews.com - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- SpaceX to launch NASAs TRACERS to understand Earths magnetic re-connection on Tuesday from California - news.satnews.com - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- Amazons ride on the rocket merry-go-round continues with SpaceX launch - Ars Technica - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- Cellular Starlink Reaches Canada, But With No Mention of SpaceX - PCMag - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- Rival Broadband Operators Competeand PartnerWith SpaceX - Aviation Week Network - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- SpaceX ready to launch O3b mPower 9-10 Monday from the Cape - news.satnews.com - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- Elon Musk: SpaceX aims to launch Starship in three weeks - MyRGV.com - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- SpaceX expected to launch Starlink services in Vietnam from fourth quarter - Reuters - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Elon Musk announces: SpaceX will launch 10th test flight of Starship in ... - Times of India - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- SpaceX reportedly planning insider share sale at $400 billion valuation - Investing.com - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- How SpaceX Built StarlinkAnd A Massive Lead on Rivals - Aviation Week Network - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- SpaceX launches mystery satellite to geostationary transfer orbit (video) - Space - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Starship's 10th Test Flight Likely In About 3 Weeks, Says SpaceX CEO Elon Musk - Mashable India - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- SpaceX Valued at $400 Billion in Insider Share Sale at $212 per Share - AInvest - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- SpaceX capsule returns to Earth with four crew members - MSN - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- SpaceX Gears Up for Starships 10th Test Flight Amid Renewed Mars Ambitions - thedailyjagran.com - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- SpaceX completes its 500th Falcon 9 mission in secrecy (maybe not that secret) - Space Explored - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- SpaceX Dragon Spacecraft's Reentry With Ax-4 Crew Captured In 4K By ISS Cameras - Mashable India - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- SpaceX: Starlink Is Serving Over 2 Million Active Customers In The US - PCMag - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]