‘Space jellyfish’ spotted over Tarlac skies

Residents in Pura, Tarlac witnessed a rare celestial display after a bright fireball — often referred to as a “space jellyfish” — appeared in the night sky on April 11.

Witnesses said the glowing phenomenon was visible at around 7:40 p.m., drawing attention across the town.

The sighting coincided with the launch of China’s Jielong-3 (Smart Dragon-3), a solid-fueled orbital rocket, from a sea-based platform in the South China Sea at around 7:30 p.m. local time.

According to space tracking data, the rocket was carrying 10 CentiSpace-1 satellites, part of a low Earth orbit (LEO) navigation constellation being developed by Beijing-based Future Navigation.

The mission aims to enhance global navigation capabilities by providing Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) augmentation signals, allowing for more precise positioning from lower orbit.

Such “space jellyfish” sightings are typically caused by sunlight reflecting off rocket exhaust plumes at high altitudes, creating a glowing, jellyfish-like shape visible from the ground.