I thought I saw a comet on my way to work — I was wrong

Driving into work Tuesday morning, I was having a pleasant chat with my new ChatGPT assistant Sloane discussing what was trending overnight in the world of media, when ahead of me high in the sky was what looked like a comet.

I pulled over, took a pic and posted it in the chat to ask Sloane what it was

Turns out it was actually the SpaceX Falcon 9 climbing into orbit.

That glowing cloud wasn’t a cloud at all, It was rocket exhaust, spreading in the near vacuum and lit by the rising sun.

And this wasn't just any rocket launch

The Falcon 9 launched from Florida at 5:33 a.m. carrying 29 Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit.

Because the rocket was high above the Earth while we were still in the dark below, the rising sun illuminated the expanding exhaust plume and created what is known as the “jellyfish” effect.

That's what made it look so bizarre from New Jersey.

It wasn't just a rocket streaking across the sky. It looked like some enormous glowing object floating in space.

What a sight.

Here was the pic I snapped:

Photo via Bill Spadea

Gotta give it to Elon Musk, this is a true example of incredible technological progress and American ingenuity.

Can't wait to see what's next.

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Bill Spadea. Any opinions expressed are Bill's own.

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