Here’s how to watch and keep up with SpaceX rocket launches in L.A.

Nope, that wasn’t aliens, it maybe was fireworks and it probably wasn’t lightning: If you see a strange streak of light ascending in the night sky above Los Angeles, there’s a good chance you’ve just encountered a rocket launch—most likely a bundle of satellites bound for orbit on a reusable SpaceX rocket.

Just about every week or two—and sometimes even more often than that—there’s an unmanned rocket launched from a site more than 100 miles northwest of L.A. Typically these are missions by SpaceX, the Hawthorne-based private spacecraft and satellite company, but Firefly Aerospace and United Launch Alliance occasionally have rockets that grace the airspace, as well. You probably don’t even notice most of these: During the day they’re barely visible and well after dark they look like a little flare floating upwards across the sky.

But when the timing is just right—usually 30 to 60 minutes after sunset or before sunrise—these rocket launches leave behind an out-of-this-world display in the sky. If you’re sick of finding out about these otherworldly launches after social media is already flooded with “what was that in the sky?” posts, here’s how to stay one step ahead and—assuming the launch doesn’t get delayed or canceled, as they often do—plan to watch.

Where does SpaceX launch rockets near Los Angeles?

Vandenberg Space Force Base, about a three-hour drive from Los Angeles and a little ways up the coast from Santa Barbara. There are actually 16 launch sites clustered along this section of the coast, but chances are you’re most likely to spot a rocket originating out of Space Launch Complex 4, just south of the Lompoc-Surf Amtrak station and Surf Beach.

Formerly an Air Force base and now a Space Force one, Vandenberg has hosted launches for decades, whether it’s satellites sent to space, missiles being tested or some other classified payload being launched into orbit.

What are they actually launching?

It depends on the mission. Lately, the bulk of these launches are for Starlink satellites, SpaceX’s low Earth orbit web of internet-providing beacons. But others carry educational instruments or commercial goods. And yes, some indeed launch spy satellites or undisclosed government payloads.

What times are the SpaceX launches?

This too varies from launch to launch. Some are in the morning, some late at night, and often with a roughly three-hour window in which the rocket can safely launch. As far as timing goes, it’s important to remember that these launches are routinely delayed and sometimes canceled (or scrubbed)—sometimes with only a second left on the countdown. If you plan on traveling up the coast, you’ll need to brace yourself for the possibility that you could have spent three-plus hours in the car for nothing in the event of a scrubbed launch.

If you’re staying put in L.A. and simply looking for that otherworldly glow, you’ll want to take note of any delays; a mere 15 minutes can sometimes be enough to push it into or out of that sweet spot.

As we mentioned up top, these launches look the most dramatic about 30 to 60 minutes after sunset or before sunrise. Dubbed the twilight phenomenon, high-altitude light from the setting sun catches the rocket’s vapor trail, which turns its exhaust plume into a jellyfish-like kaleidoscope of colors against the otherwise dark sky. They’re not limited to just the sky above L.A. either: These Vandenberg launches are sometimes visible well into Arizona.

Where can I watch?

Wherever you have a clear view of the sky from just slightly north of west (near the horizon) to just south of west (higher up in the sky). The most dazzling parts of these launches tend to be higher in altitude, so it’s fine if the horizon is blocked—but a tall spot with unobstructed views certainly makes for a more panoramic display.

As for places close to the launch site, we’d say that this option is just for L.A.’s aerospace diehards. Again, delays and scrubbed launches mean you could end up driving three hours up the coast for no reason. But if you do find yourself in the vicinity of Vandenberg, know that civilians can’t just waltz onto the base. Surf Beach is as close as you can get to the launch sites—but it technically closes at sunset, and it’s often shut down for safety reasons during launches. If you head toward the shore on Ocean Avenue in Lompoc, you’ll likely encounter tons of cars lining the street as you approach an inevitable roadblock. These folks tend to arrive hours ahead of the launch, so keep that in mind; otherwise, the City of Lompoc offers a few other suggestions for spots in and just north of town.

How can I keep up with upcoming launches?

If you’ve gotten hooked on these ethereal displays, you can check out SpaceX’s launch schedule. As we mentioned earlier, though, they’re not the only company blasting off from Vandenberg, and refreshing a web page from time to time isn’t exactly efficient.

Instead, we suggest scoping out website Space Launch Schedule for a full rundown of the base’s, well, space launch schedule. The site maintains a smartphone app with notifications for launches, as well. We can also vouch for Next Spaceflight, which has a calendar you can subscribe to in your calendar app of choice with all of the up-to-date launch info (we do unfortunately mean all, though, as the calendar includes launches everywhere from Florida to French Guiana to China).

Also, Vandenberg just started its own notification service. You can sign up for email or text alerts, and though it’s still early days, so far we’ve found the service helpful; each email contains the timing info, as well as road closures and public viewing tips.