[Launch Alert] Minotaur IV/SBSS Launch Observations

Sun Sep 26 16:35:35 EDT 2010

                             LAUNCH ALERT

                              Brian Webb
                     Ventura County, California
                        kd6nrp at earthlink.net
                     http://www.spacearchive.info

                              2010 September 26 (Sunday) 13:31 PDT
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                MINOTAUR IV/SBSS LAUNCH OBSERVATIONS

Here are a some observations of last night's launch.

Wilso 11122
Location Unknown

Looked great!  3 minutes and 3 stages.? 

Pete, N6ZE
Calabasas(?)

Nice visual view from a residential area: Parkmor St & T.O. Blvd in
Calabassas??. Saw last part of 1st stage candle burn and visible smoke
trail when stage 2 ignited. No photos obtained.

Lee Jones, KE6WMK
Claremont

Minotaur IV launch visibility from Claremont CA ... (viewing location
is ~272km / 167sm from VAndenberg AFB)

All events on Saturday, 25 Sep 2010...all time stamps are Pacific
Daylight Time (PDT)... almost all observing through 15x50 image
stabilized binoculars...

lift off very near to 21:41:00 as it usually take a little

21:42:15 -- saw rocket with naked eye after it cleared nearby tree
line to west; acquired target with binoculars; it was heading upwards
at estimated 45 degree angle

Rocket exhaust was bright orange near rocket engine with long very
straight sided whitish -- pale yellowish -- maybe bit of blueish
exhaust plume.  As it climed to higher altitude, I saw a faint
hemishperical white plume.  First(?) stage burned out just as it went
behind a solitary tall tree.

We were able to follow the glowing dot through the tree (as I & my
wife walked quickly across our yard) with naked eye and reacquired the
glowing dot in binoculars as it cleared the tree branches & leaves.
About now (time unknown), second(?) stage ignited making it easy to
follow with naked eye & binoculars. Exhaust was very faint white
hemisherical plume with somewhat bright orange engine area visible.

_much_ faster motion than Tuesday's Atlas 5 launch.

a little after 21:44 (guess) -- stage burned out, rocket got dim

21:44:33 -- lost very faint rocket glow to southwest (I would
have lost it very shortly behind my house roof & some trees)

Overall, Minotaur IV was visible for 2:15 while Atlas 5 was
visible for 9:30 following a similar track.  Minotaur IV may
have taken a little more southerly heading than the Atlas 5.

GJ
Covina

I saw it!  And I'm in Covina! ... I'm still excited!

Craig Baker, KC6KKR
San Fernando Valley

Did you see a blue light following tonight's launch? 
It looked like a satellite, following far behind the Minotaur until it
reached orbit, then the faint blue light began a slow left turn, and
slowed its velocity until it was directly overhead (San Fernando
Valley). It either dimmed or gained altitude, while traveling slowly
north. 

Very strange. 

Bill Honaker
Bonita

I was able to clearly see the 2nd stage start from my home in Bonita,
CA.  We are between San Diego, Chula Vista, and National City. It was
due west of us in the sky and looked like an airplane's lights at
night. I think it was about 15 degrees and was moving toward the west
southwest from my perspective.

Mike Burgess
Los Angeles

>From my home just a mile north of LAX, in Los Angeles, I clearly saw
the orange first stage, burnout with a smoke cloud, and 2nd stage
lighting & burn.

I was hoping for some twilight afterglow, but saw none.  

Joe Thomas
Palo Alto

I was able to see launch from Palo Alto. Saw the second stage ignite,
too.

Steve, KD6VKF
Ramona

Saw both stages and the contrail in the moonlight from Ramona east of
San Diego, nice.

Brian Webb
Santa Barbara County

I photographed and observed the Minotaur IV/SBSS launch from the
mountains immediately north of Santa Barbara, California (my location
was 34.52°N, 119.79°W, elevation 3,000 ft/914 M).

A few seconds after liftoff, a yellow glow appeared behind a distant
mountain. The glow rapidly grew brighter and suddenly, the rocket
appeared.

The flame from the rocket initially was yellow or orange in color and
much brighter than Venus. I estimate it had a visual magnetude of
about -8.

As the vehicle climbed, the flame gradually grew thinner and longer.
It reminded me of the flame from a propane torch, except that the
rocket's flame was white in color and thinner.

Stage 1/2 separation was dramatic and I could see a slowly flashing
red light behind the Minotaur caused by the tumbling spent first
stage.

At stage 3 ignition, there was a large smoke puff and the rocket began
to produce a tenuous smoke trail.

The rocket headed downrange and eventually disappeared. It was a great
show.

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              MINOTAUR IV/SBSS LAUNCH IMAGES AND VIDEO

The following individuals and organizations took photos and video of
the Minotaur IV/SBSS launch from the places indicated.

Photos

Joseph Dowdy

  http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2086248&id=1056798072&l=e41cd382c4

Greg Lawler
Santa Barbara County

  http://zinkwazi.com/daily_photo

Brian Webb
Santa Barbara County

  http://www.spacearchive.info/temp-minotaur-iv-sbss.jpg

Video

Brian Bartky
Camarillo

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOHkhETz0mo

30th Space Wing
Vandenberg AFB

   http://www.vandenberg.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123223753

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                         TECHNICAL QUESTION

My readers send me plenty of questions. It's time to turn the tables
and ask my very talented readership for help.

My Nikon D70 digital camera has a magenta area that appears in the
upper left during long time exposures. I want to remove this artifact
from my photos.

My understanding is that I need to take a dark frame - a separate
time exposure of the same duration as the original image. I then use
my image processing software to subtract the dark frame from my
original image.

Does anyone have any expertise with this type of problem?

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