It was the logical next step.

After a $1.2 million project to refurbish the towering Saturn V rocket at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center was completed earlier this year, something needed to be done for the rocket at night.

And the rocket city unveiled those improvements Thursday night with a new LED lighting system that casts a brilliant nighttime shine on the 363-foot space craft with the capability of illuminating the rocket in different colors.

As NASA on Thursday celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 12 moon launch, the rocket last night was lit up in patriotic red, white and blue.

So check out the new LED lighting of the Saturn V rocket at ⁦@RocketCenterUSA⁩ ... unveiled just now. pic.twitter.com/V4DDUpxUF0 — Paul Gattis (@paul_gattis) November 14, 2019

Two Huntsville companies teamed up on the new lights. Inline Lighting & Electric Supply donated the state-of-the-art LED color-changing floodlighting system supplied by Signify North America Corporation.

"Thanks to them, Huntsville's iconic Saturn V not only towers over the landscape," said Schelly Corry, the vice president of museum and exhibitions at the rocket center. "But now at dusk, it will glow as a welcoming beacon for citizens and visitors alike."

Bruce Summerville, president of Inline Lighting, said the excitement of the new-look rocket at night won't soon fade.

"We look forward to driving by on I-565 like we all do and taking a little pride in that the Saturn V is going to shine brighter more efficiently," he said.

The new LED lighting provides a more dynamic illumination of the rocket, Corry said, which previously had been lit by spotlights located at its base. The spotlights also left shadows in places on the rocket.

The new lighting will also be a cost savings to the museum, Corry said, with the LED lighting being 75 percent more efficient than the previous lighting system. She said that translates into savings of about $3,600 per year.