People were buzzing Friday morning about a mysterious light across the early morning California sky. It turned out not to be a mystery at all but a SpaceX rocket launch from Vanderberg Space Force base near Santa Barbara. Time lapse video of the rocket shows it making its way up through Earth’s atmosphere. SpaceX launched its Falcon 9 rocket to deliver 23 Starlink satellites, the company said. Several people around the Bay Area reported seeing the glow. The cloud-like formations seen in the video are exhaust trails containing water vapor and tiny ice particles. That ice then reflects sunlight and creates a glow that many reported seeing Friday morning. “What is that glowing cloud in the sky this morning?” Sunlight in the upper atmosphere 🔦 🚀 rocket plume via @SpaceX out of @SLDelta30 #CAwx 1/24/2025 https://t.co/2f12ZkOxXQ— Rob Mayeda (@RobMayeda) January 24, 2025