Launches · Falcon 9 · Vandenberg, California
SAOCOM 1A: who could see the launch
SpaceX's Falcon 9 launched SAOCOM 1A from Vandenberg, California at 7:21 PM PDT on Sunday, October 7, 2018.
It flew south, down the Pacific coast, into an orbit over the poles.
It went up 43 minutes after sunset at the pad. The exhaust high up was still in sunlight while the ground was dark, so it could glow as a "jellyfish" plume from 43 of the cities below.
Best views: Los Angeles, San Diego, Tijuana and 19 more.
Low on the horizon from Phoenix, San Jose, San Francisco and 19 more.
Can I see it from my city? 65 cities within 1,500 km
| City | Distance | Look toward | Highest | When | View | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lompoc, California | 14 km (9 mi) | up, toward the pad, then south | 48° | 7:21–7:29 PM PDT | Good view jellyfish possible | 14 km (9 mi) · look up, toward the pad, then south · up to 48° · 7:21–7:29 PM PDT |
| Santa Maria, California | 39 km (24 mi) | southwest | 32° | 7:22–7:29 PM PDT | Good view jellyfish possible | 39 km (24 mi) · look southwest · up to 32° · 7:22–7:29 PM PDT |
| Oxnard, California | 140 km (87 mi) | west, moving south | 30° | 7:22–7:29 PM PDT | Good view jellyfish possible | 140 km (87 mi) · look west, moving south · up to 30° · 7:22–7:29 PM PDT |
| Bakersfield, California | 167 km (104 mi) | southwest, moving south | 20° | 7:22–7:29 PM PDT | Good view jellyfish possible | 167 km (104 mi) · look southwest, moving south · up to 20° · 7:22–7:29 PM PDT |
| Thousand Oaks, California | 171 km (106 mi) | west, moving south | 26° | 7:22–7:29 PM PDT | Good view jellyfish possible | 171 km (106 mi) · look west, moving south · up to 26° · 7:22–7:29 PM PDT |
| Santa Clarita, California | 191 km (119 mi) | west, moving south | 23° | 7:22–7:29 PM PDT | Good view jellyfish possible | 191 km (119 mi) · look west, moving south · up to 23° · 7:22–7:29 PM PDT |
| Visalia, California | 223 km (139 mi) | southwest | 15° | 7:23–7:29 PM PDT | Good view jellyfish possible | 223 km (139 mi) · look southwest · up to 15° · 7:23–7:29 PM PDT |
| Lancaster, California | 226 km (140 mi) | west, moving south | 19° | 7:23–7:29 PM PDT | Good view jellyfish possible | 226 km (140 mi) · look west, moving south · up to 19° · 7:23–7:29 PM PDT |
| Los Angeles, California | 227 km (141 mi) | west, moving south | 22° | 7:22–7:29 PM PDT | Good view jellyfish possible | 227 km (141 mi) · look west, moving south · up to 22° · 7:22–7:29 PM PDT |
| Long Beach, California | 243 km (151 mi) | west, moving south | 23° | 7:23–7:29 PM PDT | Good view jellyfish possible | 243 km (151 mi) · look west, moving south · up to 23° · 7:23–7:29 PM PDT |
| Salinas, California | 246 km (153 mi) | south | 14° | 7:23–7:29 PM PDT | Low on the horizon jellyfish possible | 246 km (153 mi) · look south · up to 14° · 7:23–7:29 PM PDT |
| Fresno, California | 247 km (153 mi) | south | 14° | 7:23–7:29 PM PDT | Low on the horizon jellyfish possible | 247 km (153 mi) · look south · up to 14° · 7:23–7:29 PM PDT |
| West Covina, California | 253 km (157 mi) | west, moving south | 21° | 7:23–7:29 PM PDT | Good view jellyfish possible | 253 km (157 mi) · look west, moving south · up to 21° · 7:23–7:29 PM PDT |
| Anaheim, California | 263 km (163 mi) | west, moving south | 21° | 7:23–7:29 PM PDT | Good view jellyfish possible | 263 km (163 mi) · look west, moving south · up to 21° · 7:23–7:29 PM PDT |
| Irvine, California | 278 km (173 mi) | west, moving southwest | 21° | 7:23–7:29 PM PDT | Good view jellyfish possible | 278 km (173 mi) · look west, moving southwest · up to 21° · 7:23–7:29 PM PDT |
| Rancho Cucamonga, California | 283 km (176 mi) | west, moving southwest | 19° | 7:23–7:29 PM PDT | Good view jellyfish possible | 283 km (176 mi) · look west, moving southwest · up to 19° · 7:23–7:29 PM PDT |
| Victorville, California | 304 km (189 mi) | west, moving southwest | 16° | 7:23–7:29 PM PDT | Good view jellyfish possible | 304 km (189 mi) · look west, moving southwest · up to 16° · 7:23–7:29 PM PDT |
| Riverside, California | 305 km (190 mi) | west, moving southwest | 18° | 7:23–7:29 PM PDT | Good view jellyfish possible | 305 km (190 mi) · look west, moving southwest · up to 18° · 7:23–7:29 PM PDT |
| San Jose, California | 322 km (200 mi) | south | 12° | 7:23–7:28 PM PDT | Low on the horizon jellyfish possible | 322 km (200 mi) · look south · up to 12° · 7:23–7:28 PM PDT |
| Modesto, California | 336 km (209 mi) | south | 11° | 7:23–7:28 PM PDT | Low on the horizon jellyfish possible | 336 km (209 mi) · look south · up to 11° · 7:23–7:28 PM PDT |
| Oceanside, California | 338 km (210 mi) | northwest, moving southwest | 20° | 7:23–7:30 PM PDT | Good view jellyfish possible | 338 km (210 mi) · look northwest, moving southwest · up to 20° · 7:23–7:30 PM PDT |
| Temecula, California | 343 km (213 mi) | west, moving southwest | 18° | 7:23–7:29 PM PDT | Good view jellyfish possible | 343 km (213 mi) · look west, moving southwest · up to 18° · 7:23–7:29 PM PDT |
| Fremont, California | 347 km (216 mi) | south | 11° | 7:23–7:28 PM PDT | Low on the horizon jellyfish possible | 347 km (216 mi) · look south · up to 11° · 7:23–7:28 PM PDT |
| San Mateo, California | 360 km (224 mi) | southeast | 11° | 7:23–7:28 PM PDT | Low on the horizon jellyfish possible | 360 km (224 mi) · look southeast · up to 11° · 7:23–7:28 PM PDT |
| Escondido, California | 366 km (227 mi) | northwest, moving southwest | 18° | 7:23–7:30 PM PDT | Good view jellyfish possible | 366 km (227 mi) · look northwest, moving southwest · up to 18° · 7:23–7:30 PM PDT |
| Stockton, California | 375 km (233 mi) | south | 10° | 7:23–7:28 PM PDT | Low on the horizon jellyfish possible | 375 km (233 mi) · look south · up to 10° · 7:23–7:28 PM PDT |
| San Diego, California | 384 km (239 mi) | northwest, moving southwest | 19° | 7:23–7:30 PM PDT | Good view jellyfish possible | 384 km (239 mi) · look northwest, moving southwest · up to 19° · 7:23–7:30 PM PDT |
| San Francisco, California | 385 km (239 mi) | southeast | 10° | 7:23–7:28 PM PDT | Low on the horizon jellyfish possible | 385 km (239 mi) · look southeast · up to 10° · 7:23–7:28 PM PDT |
| Concord, California | 393 km (244 mi) | south | 10° | 7:23–7:28 PM PDT | Low on the horizon jellyfish possible | 393 km (244 mi) · look south · up to 10° · 7:23–7:28 PM PDT |
| El Cajon, California | 394 km (245 mi) | northwest, moving southwest | 18° | 7:23–7:30 PM PDT | Good view jellyfish possible | 394 km (245 mi) · look northwest, moving southwest · up to 18° · 7:23–7:30 PM PDT |
| Tijuana, MX | 410 km (255 mi) | northwest, moving southwest | 19° | 7:23–7:30 PM PDT | Good view jellyfish possible | 410 km (255 mi) · look northwest, moving southwest · up to 19° · 7:23–7:30 PM PDT |
| Vallejo, California | 413 km (257 mi) | south | 9° | 7:23–7:28 PM PDT | Low on the horizon jellyfish possible | 413 km (257 mi) · look south · up to 9° · 7:23–7:28 PM PDT |
| Fairfield, California | 422 km (262 mi) | south | 9° | 7:23–7:28 PM PDT | Low on the horizon jellyfish possible | 422 km (262 mi) · look south · up to 9° · 7:23–7:28 PM PDT |
| Elk Grove, California | 425 km (264 mi) | south | 9° | 7:23–7:28 PM PDT | Low on the horizon jellyfish possible | 425 km (264 mi) · look south · up to 9° · 7:23–7:28 PM PDT |
| Sacramento, California | 446 km (277 mi) | south | 8° | 7:23–7:28 PM PDT | Low on the horizon jellyfish possible | 446 km (277 mi) · look south · up to 8° · 7:23–7:28 PM PDT |
| Roseville, California | 462 km (287 mi) | south | 8° | 7:23–7:28 PM PDT | Low on the horizon jellyfish possible | 462 km (287 mi) · look south · up to 8° · 7:23–7:28 PM PDT |
| Santa Rosa, California | 463 km (288 mi) | south | 8° | 7:23–7:28 PM PDT | Low on the horizon jellyfish possible | 463 km (288 mi) · look south · up to 8° · 7:23–7:28 PM PDT |
| Las Vegas, Nevada | 524 km (326 mi) | southwest | 8° | 7:23–7:28 PM PDT | Low on the horizon jellyfish possible | 524 km (326 mi) · look southwest · up to 8° · 7:23–7:28 PM PDT |
| Henderson, Nevada | 534 km (332 mi) | west, moving southwest | 8° | 7:23–7:28 PM PDT | Low on the horizon jellyfish possible | 534 km (332 mi) · look west, moving southwest · up to 8° · 7:23–7:28 PM PDT |
| Reno, Nevada | 549 km (341 mi) | south | 6° | 7:24–7:27 PM PDT | Low on the horizon jellyfish possible | 549 km (341 mi) · look south · up to 6° · 7:24–7:27 PM PDT |
| Peoria, Arizona | 780 km (485 mi) | west, moving southwest | 6° | 7:24–7:28 PM MST | Low on the horizon jellyfish possible | 780 km (485 mi) · look west, moving southwest · up to 6° · 7:24–7:28 PM MST |
| Phoenix, Arizona | 798 km (496 mi) | west, moving southwest | 6° | 7:24–7:28 PM MST | Low on the horizon jellyfish possible | 798 km (496 mi) · look west, moving southwest · up to 6° · 7:24–7:28 PM MST |
| Mesa, Arizona | 821 km (510 mi) | west, moving southwest | 6° | 7:24–7:28 PM MST | Low on the horizon jellyfish possible | 821 km (510 mi) · look west, moving southwest · up to 6° · 7:24–7:28 PM MST |
| Tucson, Arizona | 934 km (580 mi) | west, moving southwest | 5° | 7:25–7:28 PM MST | Low on the horizon | 934 km (580 mi) · look west, moving southwest · up to 5° · 7:25–7:28 PM MST |
21 cities where it stays below the horizon
Provo, Salt Lake City, Boise, Eugene, Salem, Portland, Hillsboro, Albuquerque, Las Cruces, El Paso, Juárez, Tacoma, Kent, Seattle, Spokane, Colorado Springs, Boulder, Pueblo, Everett, Denver, Centennial
From where you are
Not near one of these cities? or pick a place:
The launch
- Liftoff
- Oct 7, 2018, 7:21 PM PDT
- Status
- Launched
- Rocket
- Falcon 9 (SpaceX)
- Mission
- SAOCOM 1A
- Pad
- Space Launch Complex 4E, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
Minute by minute
A rocket at night looks like a bright, steady light climbing slowly, often with a glowing trail. After two or three minutes it gets smaller as it heads downrange, and you may see the first stage drop away.
Why the "jellyfish"? Around sunset and sunrise the ground is in shadow, but sunlight still reaches the exhaust high up. It glows and spreads into a huge, slowly growing cloud. People report it as a UFO almost every time.
Did you see it?
These reports came in around liftoff, and our sky checks matched them to this launch.
Coming up next
How we work this out: we follow a typical climb to orbit (about 70 km up two and a half minutes after liftoff, and about 210 km up and 1,400 km downrange after eight) in the direction the rocket flies, then work out how high above each city's horizon it gets and how dark that city's sky is. Clouds, hills and city lights aren't included. Launch times come from Launch Library 2 by The Space Devs. More on our methods.