Festival-goers at the Horizon Music Festival in San Diego were surprised by an unusual sight in the evening sky. A peculiar tadpole-shaped object appeared, capturing the attention of many attendees.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lit up the Southern California sky on Sunday evening as it lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base, located northwest of Santa Barbara.
According to NBC, the rocket carrying a payload of 20 Starlink satellites destined for low-Earth orbit, put on a spectacular display that was visible along the coast.
When skies are clear, the rocket and its exhaust plume can be seen from hundreds of miles away as it travels along the coastline. The best views are offered by launches that occur just after sunset or before sunrise, as the rocket’s reflection of the sun’s rays stands out against the dark sky.

The remarkable event was captured by numerous festival attendees, and the videos and photos quickly spread across social media platforms. The visually appealing moment was widely shared and rapidly gained popularity online.
The increased activity at Vandenberg is part of SpaceX’s expanded operations at the site, following the California Coastal Commission’s approval for the company to conduct up to 36 launches per year from the base.
In 2023, SpaceX achieved 96 successful missions using its Falcon rockets, surpassing its previous record of 61 orbital launches set in 2022.