南天的火箭发射

2020 February 28

South Celestial Rocket Launch
Image Credit & Copyright: Brendan Gully

Explanation: At sunset on December 6 a Rocket Lab Electron rocket was launched from a rotating planet. With multiple small satellites on board it departed on a mission to low Earth orbit dubbed Running Out of Fingers from Mahia Peninsula on New Zealand’s north island. The firey trace of the Electron’s graceful launch arc is toward the south in this southern sea and skyscape. Drifting vapor trails and rocket exhaust plumes catch the sunlight even as the sky grows dark though, the setting Sun still shinning at altitude along the rocket’s trajectory. Fixed to a tripod, the camera’s perspective nearly aligns the peak of the rocket arc with the South Celestial Pole, but no bright star marks that location in the southern hemisphere’s evening sky. Still, it’s easy to find at the center of the star trail arcs in the timelapse composite.

Tomorrow’s picture: DOY 60

南天的火箭发射
影像提供与版权: Brendan Gully

说明: 在去年12月6日的日落时分，一艘火箭实验室的电子号火箭从地球发射。它从纽西兰．北岛的玛希亚半岛出发，执行昵称为“手不胜数”的发射任务，推载数颗小卫星进入低地球轨道。在这片南方海域和星空景观里，电子号曳着优雅的火红发射弧向南推进。虽然当时天色已逐渐变暗，但落日还照耀着火箭轨迹通过的高空，因此飘飞的气尾和和火箭烟尘仍沐浴在阳光里。固定在三脚架上的拍照相机，其透视点几乎和火箭弧的顶点和南天极重合，只不过南方的夜空并无亮星标示天极。纵然如此，在这幅组合的缩时影像里，不难找这些星像迹线弧的中心点。

明日的图片：DOY 60