DUANE SHERRILL Editor

While SpaceX launches are common, the Tuesday, Oct. 13 launch from Cape Canaveral had early risers looking to the skies as the Falcon 9 rocket bearing a robotic Dragon capsule created a celestial wonder that lit up social media from the East Coast all the way to Middle Tennessee.

The rocket was on its way to the International Space Station, where it delivered 6,300 pounds of supplies after its 52-hour flight Thursday.

Part of the uniqueness of the launch was due to its timing. The pre-dawn launch came at 5:33 a.m., CDT, when it was still dark outside both at the launch site and in the Central Time Zone. However, once the rocket reached hundreds of miles into the atmosphere, it reached a point where the sun was already shining. The rocket’s engines were putting out a trail of water vapor and carbon dioxide, which froze into ice in the dark sky; it created a glowing cloud resembling a jellyfish.

Another morning mission is set for Monday, Oct. 19, as a Falcon 9 is set to lift off from Cape Canaveral at 5:30 a.m. CDT.

We asked our readers to if they saw the launch and to share their photos with us on our Facebook page. Check out those photos on our Facebook here.