Launch of Firefly Alpha FLT005

July 9, 2024

Wide-angle photograph of the Firefly Alpha launch. The exhaust plume from the 1st stage can be seen low near the horizon while the rapidly expanding rocket exhaust from the 2nd stage develops an arch shape. Also visible is the red glow in the ionosphere.

The 5th flight of a Firefly Alpha rocket was launched from Vandenberg Space Flight Base last week (03 July 2024). This was the first time I had observed a Firefly launch and was not certain what to expect. I started photographing the launch using a telephoto (80mm) but a few minutes into the flight I realized I needed a wide-angle lens (12mm) to fully capture the rapidly expanding rocket exhaust.

Firefly Alpha rises above the trees as seen from Upper Lake Mary near Flagstaff, Arizona. (80mm telephoto)

I manually tracked the flight and captured a few more images in which the 1st stage and fairings can be seen.

Firefly Alpha 2nd stage rocket with 1st stage following a short distance behind.

Firefly Alpha launch with 2nd stage. The 1st stage is executing a spiral as it begins its descent.

The 1st stage continues to produce a spiral rocket exhaust cloud.

Using the wide angle lens I was able to capture a sequence of images suitable for time lapse, presented below.

Time lapse video of the Firefly Alpha rocket launch from Vandenberg SFB on 03 July 2024.

As noted above, I switched from a telephoto lens to wide angle lens a few minutes into the flight–thus the time lapse starts well after launch. Nonetheless, the rapidly expanding rocket exhaust shows up well. Also, there is a hole punched in the ionosphere causing it to glow red. This video was featured on Spaceweather.com and a description of the red glow was provided:

The lingering red glow is “the hole.” Earth’s ionosphere is a layer of electrically-conducting gas enveloping our planet more than 100 km high. It plays a key role in shortwave radio communications and GPS positioning. When Alpha burned through the ionosphere, water and carbon dioxide in therocket’s exhaust quenched local ionization by as much as 70%. Red light is the afterglow of this process.

It was spectacular to watch and photograph. As always, I look forward to additional launches from Vandenberg SFB.

Twilight Launch from Vandenberg Space Flight Base

April 7, 2024 / 2 Comments

There was yet another twilight launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Flight Base on Saturday evening. These launches can be magnificent to watch as the expanding gases from the rocket exhaust are illuminated by the sun–already well below the horizon. It lights up bright at first then slowly dims as the exhaust thins and spreads across the sky and the sun drops lower. The clouds can be colorful much like noctilucent clouds (“night shining clouds”).

SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch from Vandenberg Space Flight Base. The image was shot from within the San Francisco Volcanic Fields.

SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch from Vandenberg Space Flight Base.

Noctilucent clouds from the rocket exhaust linger into twilight.

And here are two time-lapse sequences of the rocket and the noctilucent clouds.

Time lapse of the SpaceX Falcon 9 accelerating across the western sky.

Time lapse of the expanding noctilucent cloud in the western sky.

The cadence of launches is increasing and we will see many more of these in the weeks and months. Hopefully, some of them will be during twilight.

Bonus: while watching we saw a fireball cross the sky from low in the east, moving overhead, then finally ending in the west. It was so bright that you almost felt that you could reach out and grab it. Wow!

Edit: fixed typos.

Comets, Sunspots, and Zodiacal Light

April 1, 2024

There have been few opportunities for capturing night sky objects owing to clouds and the presence of the Moon. That doesn’t stop me from trying.

Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks and Triangulum Galaxy (M33).

Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks and M33 (Triangulam Galaxy).

Clouds, a bright waxing Moon, and some distant light pollution made it difficult to capture this comet. This was taken at the base of Arizona Snowbowl ski area at 2830 m; the elevation helps to get above some of the atmospheric haze.

Sunspots AR3615 and AR3614

Several large sunspots are visible on the face of the Sun (27 March 2024).

Zodiacal Light

While setting up to photograph a launch at Vandenberg SFB (which was scrubbed), I fired off a few test shots of the zodiacal light. In review, I noticed that I also captured Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks. Small–very small–when shot with a 24mm wide-angle lens.

Now, the Moon is out of the way and the forecast indicates a few clear nights so maybe I’ll get another change to shoot some images of the comet.

Rocket Launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base

December 26, 2023

I was fortunate to see another spectacular launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base on Christmas Eve morning. I typically check the launch listing sites every few days to keep track of when the next launch will be. These are listed weeks or even months ahead of the launch date–although the dates can and do change. There are exceptions to this advance posting: certain top-secret satellites are often announced with only 24 hours notice. The SARah 2 & 3 satellites had this abbreviated announcement.

SpaceX Falcon 9 launch the SARah 2 & 3 satellites into LEO (Low Earth Orbit). Exhaust from the second stage is illuminated by the Sun as it ascends.

Fortunately, I happened to check the updated schedule about 12 hours before launch so I was able to make preparations for viewing it.

The launch was scheduled for 0611 MST (0511 PST) on the morning of December 24. I went north of Flagstaff to the San Francisco Volcanic Field.

The launch was on time at 0611 MST and about a minute later I was able to see the rocket as it rose above the horizon. I wasalso able to photograph the first stage separation. A few minutes later the high-level clouds appeared once the rocket had ascended high enough to be illuminated by the Sun–which was still well below the horizon at my location.

Here are a few photographs of the launch plus a time-lapse video that shows the dramatic expansion of the high-altitude cloud from the rocket exhaust.

SpaceX/Falcon 9 launch of the SARah 2 & 3 satellites.

The next launch is in a week but may be too late in the evening to catch the last light of twilight.

Rocket Launch from Vandenberg SFB–II

August 14, 2023

Another SpaceX Falcon 9 was launched from Vandenberg SFB during the evening twilight hours (07 August 2023). And this one might have been even more spectacular than the previous launch (19 July 2023).

Launch of SpaceX Falcon 9 with a brightly illuminated and expanding exhaust plume.

As the exhaust fades the red glow in the ionosphere can be easily seen.

The rocket exhaust is beautifully illuminated by the light of the Sun–which is well below the horizon. Next, the rocket moves through the ionosphere and a red glow develops. From the SpaceWeather.com site:

“This is a well studied phenomenon when rockets are burning their engines 200 to 300 km above Earth’s surface,” says space physicist Jeff Baumgardner of Boston University. Some rocket engines spray water (H2O) and carbon dioxide (CO2) into the ionosphere, quenching local ionization by as much as 70%. The F-layer of the ionosphere is particulary effected. Oxygen ions (O+) in the F-layer are hungry for electrons, which they readily steal from the rocket’s exhaust. Captured electrons cascade down the oxygen atom’s energy levels, emitting red photons at a wavelength of 6300 Å–the same color as red auroras.

The exhaust and red glow were bright enough to be reflected in the waters of Lake Mary.

Time lapse of the launch of the SpaceX Falcon 9.

The next launch of a Falcon 9 is scheduled for much later at night and will not be as well lit as this launch.

Flagstaff Altitudes

Tag: Vandenberg SFB