Noctilucent clouds seen from SWFL Wednesday morning

Early risers may have noticed glowing, electric-blue streaks in the sky after this morning’s SpaceX Starlink launch, and no, they weren’t typical clouds!

Those were, what we call, noctilucent clouds, which form nearly 50 miles above Earth in the upper atmosphere.

When a rocket launches, its exhaust releases water vapor high into that extremely cold layer, where it can freeze into tiny ice crystals.

Just before sunrise, the sun is still shining on those high-altitude ice particles, making them glow bright blue against the darker sky.

It’s a stunning sight that shows how space launches can briefly create their own light show right over South Florida!