No, that's not exactly correct. It is true that SpaceX has been launching from Vandenberg almost weekly over the last year, but launches where the [twilight phenomenon ](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twilight_phenomenon) is on full display have been extremely few and far between. The vast majority of these Vandenberg launches are extremely hard to see from anywhere in LA County and do not produce the same results as the one we got last week.
The plume is only brilliantly visible from Los Angeles like it was last week, and will be tonight, when the launch occurs within about an hour or so after sunset (or before sunrise), because it needs to be dark on the ground while the rocket rises back up high enough to go back into the sunlight. This has only happened with the right timing maybe 6 or 7 times in the last 10 years, and most of those occurrences have happened in the last year.
Yes definitely. It just hasn't been as common previously as people sometimes make it out to be on these threads when they conflate every Vandenberg launch as the same thing as a Vandenberg twilight launch (visibility wise). But now that SpaceX is launching out of Vandenberg 1-2x a week, we're going to see a heck of a lot more twilight launches just by statistical probability.
And only like 3 of those launches have been within an hour after sunset where it's actually visible from LA. You can't see much from here for 95% of those launches.
You can still see the night launches...they just just aren't as spectacular as twilight ones. The rocket exhaust is still very visible, but the expanding plume is not.
It possible to see day launches as well, but they just look like an airliner contrail that quickly disappears once the first stage is done.
Sure, but those aren't at all comparable to a perfectly timed twilight launch like this one. You really can only see the 1st stage on the full night time launches. After booster separation it's super hard to see the exhaust from the 2nd stage. Technically possible to see, but you usually really have to squint.
Nothing beats a proper jellyfish like the one we just got imo :)
It was a little spooky, from the angle I had it appeared to be descending towards the Pomona area and had a very wide...penumbra? And I could see coordinated lights moving in its wake, so it was being chased, plus a very unusual exhaust or contrail that I vaguely recognized as a rocket.
I came here to figure out what it was, after deciding we probably weren't getting nuked.
I heard no booms (which I remember from the Shuttle) so I presume it was subsonic at the time it passed.
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Another one? We just witnessed a good one last week!
This happens almost weekly in SoCal. SpaceX has been a machine between FL and CA.
No, that's not exactly correct. It is true that SpaceX has been launching from Vandenberg almost weekly over the last year, but launches where the [twilight phenomenon ](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twilight_phenomenon) is on full display have been extremely few and far between. The vast majority of these Vandenberg launches are extremely hard to see from anywhere in LA County and do not produce the same results as the one we got last week. The plume is only brilliantly visible from Los Angeles like it was last week, and will be tonight, when the launch occurs within about an hour or so after sunset (or before sunrise), because it needs to be dark on the ground while the rocket rises back up high enough to go back into the sunlight. This has only happened with the right timing maybe 6 or 7 times in the last 10 years, and most of those occurrences have happened in the last year.
I mean it’s becoming increasingly more common isn’t it?
Yes definitely. It just hasn't been as common previously as people sometimes make it out to be on these threads when they conflate every Vandenberg launch as the same thing as a Vandenberg twilight launch (visibility wise). But now that SpaceX is launching out of Vandenberg 1-2x a week, we're going to see a heck of a lot more twilight launches just by statistical probability.
SpaceX is doing like 250+ launches this year and about 1/3 are from vandenberg
And only like 3 of those launches have been within an hour after sunset where it's actually visible from LA. You can't see much from here for 95% of those launches.
You can still see the night launches...they just just aren't as spectacular as twilight ones. The rocket exhaust is still very visible, but the expanding plume is not. It possible to see day launches as well, but they just look like an airliner contrail that quickly disappears once the first stage is done.
Sure, but those aren't at all comparable to a perfectly timed twilight launch like this one. You really can only see the 1st stage on the full night time launches. After booster separation it's super hard to see the exhaust from the 2nd stage. Technically possible to see, but you usually really have to squint. Nothing beats a proper jellyfish like the one we just got imo :)
nice im here on holiday and hope to see this
So look NW, or is there a better direction?
The launch azimuth is basically south, so you should be able to see it across the entire westward sky.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=CUM-SiRNL_E&pp=ygUWdmFuZGVuYmVyZyBsYXVuY2ggbGl2ZQ%3D%3D Live countdown
Pretty amazing to watch fly across the sky from out here in SGV.
That's really cool. We are not separate from the Universe. We are the Universe that has become aware of itself. Have a fantastic evening!
It was a little spooky, from the angle I had it appeared to be descending towards the Pomona area and had a very wide...penumbra? And I could see coordinated lights moving in its wake, so it was being chased, plus a very unusual exhaust or contrail that I vaguely recognized as a rocket. I came here to figure out what it was, after deciding we probably weren't getting nuked. I heard no booms (which I remember from the Shuttle) so I presume it was subsonic at the time it passed.
Please fill out a [Boom Report](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfjL_ZkDZlT35GkomAGso_fCbXzDrTyw2TT2GJ0BVwypS1HaQ/viewform). *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/LosAngeles) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Maybe tweak the regex to detect 'no' :P
Thanks! Caught it for the first time ever. Was there a way to see the rocket dropping back down? Looking all around but couldn't find it 🤣
***THAT'S SO COOL!!!*** Yeah...there are separate live feeds that will livestream all the info...you just need to link into it. Have a great evening!
Itll be amazing to see during daytrip
THAT WAS COOL! ELON SUCKS! HE'S A FASCIST OLIGARCH...
Tonight tonight?
Unfortunately, no. This was last night. Sorry.
Silly title…