These pictures are images of an orbital or sub-orbital vehicle launch from Vandenburg California as viewed from quite a distance away, in the high desert of California near Mohave. When the timing of these launches are a bit after sundown, and just as it is stating to darken nicely, the sun still lights up the exhaust trail. That produces this kind of view.

This is well after launch and second stage separation. Sorry for the visable motion here, but it was hand held at about a 2 second exposure.