SpaceX rocket launch visible in skies across Philadelphia region

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Tuesday morning's SpaceX launch happened hundreds of miles away in Cape Canaveral, Florida, but it was visible across the country including in the Philadelphia area.

Viewers and social media users who were up bright and early reported seeing a streak of white light moving across the sky. While many speculated (and searched on Google) whether there might be a comet or meteor entering the atmosphere , it was actually the launch sending four civilians into space.

John Gajewski sent in video showing the rocket overhead in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania.

Our photographer Bill Seiders captured the phenomenon over Philadelphia as well.

And Gary Kaplan sent us video from Turnersville, New Jersey:

The Polaris Dawn mission sent a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket into space at 5:23 a.m. on Tuesday.

Among the four civilians on the rocket are Lehigh Valley tech company founder Jared Isaacman. His Shift4 is headquartered in Center Valley, Lehigh County .

Isaacman and fellow crewmates Sarah Gillis, Scott Poteet and Anna Menon plan to set a record for the highest altitude recorded since the Apollo missions, and will be the first to take part in the first spacewalk by a commercial spacefaring venture , CBS News reports.