[Launch Alert] Falcon 9 Launched

[Launch Alert]

A Falcon 9 rocket was successfully launched this morning from Vandenberg SFB, Calif. The vehicle lifted off from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at 2:30 a.m. PST and carried 22 Starlink satellites into orbit.

As expected, the launch was apparently visible over a wide area. One Launch Alert reader reported "If you care to know, I live in postal area 95033, Santa Cruz Mountains and observed the launch this AM. It was very clear once it cleared above the Monterey Peninsula."

The remnants of the rocket's exhaust plume persisted and created an interesting luminous cloud at dawn as the exhaust was illuminated at high altitude by the Sun and suspended against a dark sky.