Weather Updates, Firefly Rocket Launch
Posted: 15 September 2023
Clouds arrived late Thursday afternoon, 7 September 2023. But they made for a pretty sunset.
Saturday, 9 September, with continued cloudy nights and probable thunderstorms in the forecast for the next several days, I put the Dome Cover ON. Also, there would be an extended period when I would not be able to go to the observatory. A thunderstorm came through Tuesday mid-morning, 12 September, with 0.28" rain. Late Wednesday afternoon, 13 September, there was a brief thundershower (0.04"). There was also a nasty looking storm west of Oracle.
The sky cleared on Thursday, 14 September. I did not open the observatory that night, but thanks to a tip from a local amateur astronomer to "Look to the west right now!!!", I was able to get this iPhone 13 Pro Max photograph (Camera app, Night Mode, 3 seconds, 1X lens) of a Firefly Aerospace rocket launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
This photo is the first one I've taken that shows a rocket making a hole in the ionosphere (the red glow at center).
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