SpaceX launch brings amazing views of 'noctilucent' clouds from Tallahassee to SW Florida

If you were up early this morning, you may have been privy to quite the celestial show, but it wasn't a repeat of the northern lights.

A SpaceX launch lit up the sky not only over Cape Canaveral, but also meant a view of noctilucent clouds from as far as Tampa and Southwest Florida.

The SpaceX Falcon 9 launched Wednesday at 4:55 a.m. with the latest batch of Starlink satellites.

And then the amazing thing happened.

Just over eight minutes into the flight, the first stage Falcon 9 booster made a visible, controlled landing on the A Shortfall of Gravitas droneship out on the Atlantic Ocean.

The landing trail, which is rarely seen from droneship landings, was illuminated by sunlight just under the horizon for over an hour — leaving a colorful area of sky next to a crescent moon and Jupiter.

Those "noctilucent clouds" were visible for quite a distance and lucky early-risers took to social media to share their photos.

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But first, an explanation:

What are noctilucent clouds?

Noctilucent, or night-shining, clouds occur about 50 miles above the earth, much higher than typical clouds, according to the National Weather Service.

They are sometimes referred to as polar mesospheric clouds.

For noctilucent clouds to form they require water vapor, dust and very low temperatures, according to the U.K. Met Office.

During a rocket launch, water vapor is released into the atmosphere.

First observed in 1885 following the eruption of Krakatoa, noctilucent clouds are thought to be increasing in frequency, brightness, and becoming visible at lower latitudes as a result of human activity and climate change.

SpaceX launch amazes viewers, who take to social media to share photos, video

Contributor: Brooke Edwards, Florida Today

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Northern lights? It's SpaceX Florida launch's noctilucent clouds