rocket science
by Morgan Davis

September 19, 2002 — Did this sight over the San Diego skyline fuel your imagination?

On the way to pick up our daughter from swim practice, my wife spotted something strange and beautiful in the western sky. It was just after sunset, about 7:40pm. She called and told me to immediately go outside to look.

Just over the rooftop of our neighbor's home is what appeared to be a spotlight of a slowly moving helicopter. Not an uncommon sight around the hillsides of East County. Suddenly, the bright white light bloomed into a dozen large, perfectly concentric "petals". As the sky-flower rapidly faded, it left a misty aura high in the atmosphere. This was no helicopter. It conjured thoughts of Grover's Mill and Orson Welles.

Steady now, boy
I dashed into the house to get my digital camera, then sprinted up our driveway to get a better look. And there it was... the part I could not see below the rooftops: a glowing, red-orange trail of light blazing against the evening dusk. I knew instantly what it was.

A one-and-a-half second exposure was required to get my shot. But, I had left the tripod in the house. Without it, the slightest movement would blur the photo. I had to act fast, as the the fantastic lightshow was quickly melting away over the Pacific. So I held my breath, held perfectly still, snapped, and hoped a few shots would turn out.

So what was it?
The striking view was created by a Minuteman III missle launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base. Two unarmed re-entry vehicles were to travel 4,200 miles in 30 minutes to strike targets in the Marshall Islands, according to the United States Air Force.

The "skyshow" was created when residual missile propellant and water froze in the upper atmosphere. These frozen fragments reflect high altitude sunlight, producing the multicolored luminescence. On this evening, the conditions were just right, with clear skies and sun below the horizon. As the missile rose out of the darkness into the sunlight, the twilight phenomenon resulted.


Find out more about the September 19 missle test launch with these stunning photos and interesting articles.

News photo and caption (Yahoo!)

19 Sept Launch Creates Spectacular Twilight Phenomenon
   (Space & Missle Times)

Superb 9/19 launch photo series (Tracy Justus)

More launch images (30th Space Wing)

Google Search on Minuteman III

Map of Vandenberg Launch Points & Timeline

How does a rocket work? (ScienceNet)

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