PHOENIX (AZFamily) — Friday night brought a special sight in the sky for many Arizonans.
Just after 7 p.m., people across the southwest saw a comet-like trail coming from a SpaceX rocket. The phenomenon is known as the “twilight effect,” which occurs when the sun has recently set but the rocket continues to rise, illuminating its exhaust plume.
The SpaceX rocket could be seen from Arizona.(John)
This Falcon 9 rocket was one of the company’s COSMO-SkyMed Second Generation missions for the Italian Space Agency. It took off from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
It is the 21st flight for the first stage booster, according to SpaceX.
After the rocket splits off, the Falcon 9’s first stage is expected to land on the Of Course I Still Love You droneship in the Pacific Ocean, as customary for these launches.
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