It’s about 0230 EDT, and I’m still up, planning home renovations for tomorrow. But I’m in south Florida, about fifteen minutes from the swamp to the west, and the sky is clear for both the Perseids and the Parker Solar Probe Delta IV launch in an hour, 150 miles north-northwest of me. So I might as well stay up a little longer. Hoping I’ll see the Milky Way for the first time in a long time.
[Sunday-morning update]
Well, saw half a dozen meteors, one of them right next to the ascending rocket. No Milky Way, though.
[Update Sunday night]
Given my recent failed attempts to see it, I’m wondering (slightly depressed) if it’s an age-related vision decline. It was very distinct in my youth, but it seems like there are a lot fewer stars than there used to be.
Rand, did you note how long past launch you were able to first see the Delta IV Heavy from?
I was surprised by this ULA graphic which suggests that it wouldn’t be visible in WPB until about L+02:20. I’ve watched several Falcon 9 launches from the vicinity of the St. Lucie inlet, and I’m sure we see them well before the L+2:00 point suggested by that graphic for the Delta IV Heavy. I’m left wondering if that graphic was overly conservative, or if the Falcon 9 either accelerates faster or flies a more lofted trajectory than the Delta IV Heavy.
I didn’t time it, but it’s hard to imagine a more lofted trajectory than a Delta. I think that Falcon has a higher T/W on the first stage.
Yeah, I didn’t see the Milky Way, either. I did notice the wrappers from a couple of Mars Bars, though.
Given my recent failed attempts to see it, I’m wondering (slightly depressed) if it’s an age-related vision decline.
Maybe it was just those city kids and all their lights.
On a completely unrelated note, anyone do a followup on the Chick-fil-A boycott? I’m reading that they’re poised to become the third largest fast food restaurant (after Subway and McDonald’s, I suppose?) in a couple of years. Maybe the Shame machine isn’t as effective as some would like?