Stunning ‘space jellyfish’ photos from Florida

Good morning, DMV! It’s Wednesday, Oct. 14.

Thanks to Capital Weather, I was clued into the rocket launch yesterday morning and the chance to see the “space jellyfish” in the sky. “This phenomenon occurs when a rocket’s exhaust plume is illuminated by sunlight high in the atmosphere while the sky below is still dark, creating a glowing, jellyfish-shaped cloud,” the team said in a Facebook post.

So shortly after 6:30 a.m. yesterday, my daughter and I walked to her school bus stop, our eyes trained on the sky to the south and east. After dropping her off, I assumed I’d missed the rocket. Then on my way home, at 6:42 a.m., I spotted it — a fast-moving blurry blob. Within a few seconds, it became faint and then was gone.

Some readers who opened my newsletter at the crack of dawn yesterday also caught sight of it.

Sharon Light, 46, Silver Spring, Maryland: “I saw your story five minutes beforehand so my kids and I ran outside to see it. My older daughter spotted it first and my younger daughter has now created a ‘space jellyfish’ dance. What a cool way to start the day!”

Kris Jensen, 39, Takoma, D.C.: “I am never up this early but was having trouble sleeping. I had my coffee and read your newsletter first thing and realized I could see the launch today. Thanks so much for the tip!”

And then there are the crazy images I received from a Daily Dose reader in southwest Florida.

Diane Cockrell, 72, a resident of Bokeelia on Pine Island, Florida, captured these three images over a 10-minute time frame.

“Looking northeast we watched the launch, and at 6:37am, the jellyfish cloud formed. Zooming in, the tentacles appear. Meanwhile the ISS [International Space Station] was flying overhead and can be seen as the bright object behind the cloud and in the middle,” Diane wrote.

”At 6:40am the jellyfish began to transform into a heart-shaped cloud.

“By 6:47am, the cloud transformed into the pumpkin face with the spiked hair.”

Share your photos of comfort and joy in the DMV.

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Capital Weather says: Sunny and unseasonably warm. D.C.’s daily record high of 87 degrees may be in play. Read the full forecast here.

A neighbor told me a few months ago that Community Forklift — a “reuse warehouse” (I’ll explain below) in Edmonston, Maryland — was organizing a “Circular Showcase,” in which artists and makers were invited to create new pieces using salvaged materials. A showcase for the pieces is being held tomorrow evening at the warehouse with food, drinks and live music. (Tickets are $100 per attendee.)

I was curious what people had created, so I went to Community Forklift yesterday and met with with Scott Buga, Community Forklift’s director of marketing and communications, and Katy Kutzner, its director of development. First, we strolled through the warehouse. If you’ve never been, it’s worth a visit.

Community Forklift diverts used and surplus building materials and home goods from landfills through its warehouse store and community-giving programs. Last year, it diverted 205,452 items, including 3,633 doors, 1,229 appliances and 15,016 pieces of furniture. They also offer free materials to households with limited incomes and community groups for local projects.

Yesterday in the warehouse I saw a collection of beautiful doors, with ornate old fixtures, from the Smithsonian Arts and Industries Building.

There are also antique lighting fixtures. Sofas. Tchotchkes. It’s a fun place to explore.

But back to the Circular Showcase. I went into a small room where the 35 pieces entered for the event were being stored. Here’s a glimpse of what I saw.

🪶