SpaceX rocket glows in the sky over Los Angeles – NBC Los Angeles

A SpaceX rocket placed on a present over Los Angeles after launching Sunday night from Vandenberg House Drive Base on the Santa Barbara County coast.

The exhaust plume from the Falcon 9 rocket carrying 20 Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit was illuminated towards the darkening night time sky by the setting solar.

The rocket and its exhaust plume are generally seen for tons of of miles because it soars alongside the coast, if skies are clear. Launches simply after sundown and earlier than dawn normally present the very best views because the rocket displays the solar’s rays towards the backdrop of a darkened sky.

Hawthorne-based SpaceX launched 96 profitable missions with its Falcon rockets in 2023, eclipsing its earlier annual document of 61 orbital launches in 2022.

See how Sunday’s SpaceX rocket launch appeared round Southern California

SpaceX has a Starlink constellation of satellites orbiting Earth about 340 miles up, shuttled into area by the corporate’s rockets. The Starlink community is designed to ship high-speed web wherever across the globe.

If mild situations are proper, the satellites seem in a prepare as they parade throughout the night time sky. The satellites are generally seen within the first couple of minutes after sunset and earlier than dawn when the solar is beneath the horizon, however the satellites are excessive sufficient to mirror direct daylight.

Use the FindStarlink tracker to search out the very best upcoming viewing occasions.