February 17, 2025
The stars above are ancient, but your chance to be here is exquisitely temporary.
SpaceX Rocket Launch Plume over California
Birthday · February 17, 2025
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APOD published February 17, 2025. Credit: Martin LaMontagne. A publication-date match, not a photo taken on your date. Independent of NASA.
What's happened to the sky? Last Monday, the photogenic launch plume from a SpaceX rocket launch created quite a spectacle over parts of southern California and Arizona. Looking at times like a giant space fish, the impressive rocket launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base near Lompoc, California, was so bright because it was backlit by the setting Sun. The Falcon 9 rocket successfully delivered to low Earth orbit 23 Starlink communications satellites. The plume from the first stage is seen on the right, while the soaring upper stage rocket is seen at the apex of the plume toward the left. Venus appears at the top of the frame, while a bright streetlight shines on the far right. The featured image was captured toward the west after sunset from near Phoenix, Arizona.
Image credit: Martin LaMontagne