Eyes to the skies…
It certainly was a 36 hour period to keep your eyes to the skies as we were treated to one spectacular view after another….some natural and some perhaps not so natural. It began with a gorgeous moonrise on the eve on March 13. The skies were clear, the temperatures cool, and the moon in near full phase (99.9% full, but technically still a “Waxing gibbous” moon). I found it necessary to dial back the exposure on the camera since the moon was so bright it was “blowing out” the highlights and a normal exposure would fail to show the details of the craters, maria, rays, and mountains. This was only the opening act of the celestial play, however. A Launch of SpaceX Starlink rocket later tonight would be another opportunity to photograph the ascent of the rocket and hopefully catch the “jelly-fish effect”. The rocket launch jellyfish effect describes a phenomenon observed during the launch of rockets, particularly when they ascend through the atmosphere. As the rocket ignites and propels upward, the immense heat and pressure produced create a significant amount of water vapor and exhaust gases that rapidly expand. This expansion results in a distinctive, frothy appearance surrounding the rocket, reminiscent of a jellyfish. The swirling, pulsating motion of the exhaust plume can create a visually striking display, capturing the dynamics of gas flow in a way that emphasizes the powerful energy involved in launching a spacecraft into orbit. This effect not only illustrates the technical aspects of rocket launches but also adds an aesthetic dimension that highlights the relationship between science and art in aerospace exploration. The following photograph I took of this flight exemplifies the “art and science of science and art”.
With Act II over, it was time to get to bed…but not before setting the alarm for 2:45 AM in order to attempt to capture the total lunar eclipse. The lunar eclipse occurs when the earth gets in the way of the sun’s light traveling to the moon and casts its shadow across the lunar surface. Some of the sun’s light still manages to bend around and ever-so-gently cast a reddish glow upon the moon giving it the nickname “Blood moon”. If you missed this one, you’ll have to wait until next March 3 to see another.
Act IV
The closing act was the launch of the SpaceX Crew-10 Mission to retrieve astronauts Suni Willians and Butch Wilmore and replace them on the International Space Station with 4 new astronauts. The two Americans have been “stranded” on the ISS for over 8 months on a mission that was supposed to take 8 days. It is always a thrill to photograph these launches from nearby Cape Canaveral which now occur on a regular basis. There is certainly a certain amount of anxiety when you know the launch is a manned mission such as this one was. Great to see that the mission is going well so far. The fact that this rocket lifted off in the early evening before sunset meant that it would be illuminated by the sun, making for ideal lighting for photography. It certainly has been a wild ride these past few days watching all the fantastic sights in our skies.
