SpaceX rocket launch lights up Arizona sky

PHOENIX (AZFamily) — Friday brought something special in the night sky for many Arizonans.

People across the southwest saw the 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 as the rocket continues to rise in the sky, the sun illuminates the rocket’s exhaust plume.

The rocket is carrying 28 Starlink satellites. It is the 28th 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.

There is the possibility that residents of Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and Ventura counties heard sonic booms during the launch.

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