A #photograph of the sun-lit #exhaust #cloud of the #ULA #DeltaIV #rocket.
The #Sun is just below the horizon from the perspective of the Earth’s surface, but higher up, the Sun is still visible, so sometimes it lights up exhaust clouds or #contrails and creates stunning colors, and it changes shape as the winds blow it around.
Lately these have come to be known as #LaunchJellyfish.
https://heronfox.pixels.com/featured/vapor-trail-of-delta-iv-with-wgs-5-heron-and-fox.html

After a #rocket #launch, the exhaust, often mostly water, can create a condensation trail, which is twisted by the wind. And when the Sun is just beyond the horizon, it can illuminate these trails high in the atmosphere in fantastic, #colorful ways. This #phenomenon is sometimes called a #launchjellyfish because the trail can expand in different ways depending on the #launchvehicle and weather conditions, sometimes taking the shape of a giant #jellyfish in the sky.
This trail was created by the a United Launch Alliance #ULA #DeltaIV Medium+ with a 5 meter fairing and 4 #GEM60 solid rocket boosters #SRBs, carrying #WGS5, the fifth Wideband Global #Satcom satellite for the US #DoD and international partners.
https://heronfox.pixels.com/featured/vapor-trail-of-delta-iv-with-wgs-5-heron-and-fox.html