A SpaceX rocket launched Wednesday evening from the Southern California coast carried 20 Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit.
The rocket lifted off Wednesday evening from Vandenberg Space Force Base northwest of Santa Barbara.
The rocket's first stage landed on a droneship at sea. This was the 12th flight for the first-stage booster.
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The rocket and its exhaust plume are sometimes visible for hundreds of miles as it soars along the coast, if skies are clear. Launches just after sunset and before sunrise usually provide the best views as the rocket reflects the sun's rays against the backdrop of a darkened sky.
Sunset in Los Angeles Wednesday was at 4:44 p.m.
SpaceX has a Starlink constellation of satellites orbiting Earth about 340 miles up, shuttled into space by the company's rockets. The Starlink network is designed to deliver high-speed internet anywhere around the globe.
If light conditions are right, the satellites appear in a train as they parade across the night sky. The satellites are sometimes visible in the first few minutes after sundown and before sunrise when the sun is below the horizon, but the satellites are high enough to reflect direct sunlight.
Use the FindStarlink tracker to find the best upcoming viewing times.
