Is it normal to see SpaceX rockets from Puerto Rico like the one that happened Monday night?

The event in the sky seen last night in Puerto Rico was not caused by an Unidentified Flying Object (followed in English for Unidentified Flying Object). Specifically, it was a missile that passed through the island completely normally.

The delay in the launch of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket allowed the bright flash created by the booster on its way to Earth orbit to be seen from the island.

Had it been released as scheduled, the event most Puerto Ricans are talking about today probably wouldn’t have happened, according to the vice president. Caribbean Astronomical Society (bag), Nelson Ortega.

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“Yesterday that was a mess. People got scared and all that. But the fact is that (the launch) was scheduled for 2:33 in the afternoon and it was postponed. That’s why we didn’t announce anything before because we didn’t realize the delay and we were working,” the astrophotographer said in a phone interview with The new day.

The flash was estimated to be from 7:13 PM (Puerto Rican time), which is when the billionaire’s company Elon Musk The missile was launched from Space Launch Complex 40 in Cape Canaveral, Florida.

“Everything was because of the trajectory and the time. The trajectory, obviously, because if they launch it toward east Florida, it goes through here. And as far as the time goes, well, if the launch takes place when the sun goes down, it can be estimated because the sunlight goes down,” Ortega explained. . “We remind people that all of these rockets orbit the Earth before propelling themselves to their destination. They do it on purpose. The timing was perfect because the sun was setting and that obviously made it brighter“.

Ortega explained that the flash effect is possible after cold air condenses in the upper atmosphere due to the heat given off by the fuel the rocket burns. Said condensed particles receive sunlight and produce an iridescent effect.

It’s normal (seeing these missiles from the island). A few months ago, there was another rocket (similar flash to yesterday’s), but that was more or less horizontal and not far off. but It all depends on the trajectory and time (when the missiles are launched)The fan indicated.

The Falcon 9 rocket seen yesterday on the island carried 21 Starlink satellites into orbit, a SpaceX mission that seeks to cover the Earth using satellite internet.

In addition, the company reported that yesterday’s flight was the third to complete a Falcon 9 rocket. Falcon 9 rockets are designed to be launched and then returned to the surface for reuse on future missions.

The missile is 229.6 feet long and weighs approximately 1,207,920 pounds.