Jenam 2011A photographer was camping when a SpaceX rocket streaked across the sky in front of him and he was lucky enough to capture some spectacular video footage of it.
Justin Anderson was in Manitoba Provincial Park when he saw the remarkable sight as he gazed up at the stars around 1:13 a.m. Sunday morning.
My pictures of rocket launch last night. It’s the 2nd stage that releases fuel before its deorbit!
It was something else to see because neither or I expected it!The 2nd clip is sped up 500x.
— Aurora High Hopes with Justin Anderson () June 20, 2022
“We had just returned to our campsite when he pointed at me and said, ‘Hey, what’s that in the sky?’ and we first thought it was the moon just because it was so bright – and it just kept getting brighter and brighter,” he said. CTV News.
Anderson says he’s never seen anything like it before and it was pure luck that he was able to record the celestial event.
“I’ve had to shoot a rocket launch for a while,” he says. “But I thought I should plan a trip to Florida for that, not a trip to Nopiming Provincial Park.”
Witness rocket passing over Nopiming Provincial Park, Manitoba, Canada tonight at 1:13 a.m.
One of the coolest things I’ve seen!— Aurora High Hopes with Justin Anderson () June 19, 2022
Scott Young, the Manitoba Museum’s planetarium astronomer, says there have been similar sightings across North America.
“That’s exactly the trajectory of a SpaceX rocket that was basically putting a satellite into orbit,” he said. CTV News.
“A lot of people could see it. They have no idea what it is at the time and it is only afterwards that we are able to understand what they saw.
Young says it takes a lot of luck to be able to see a rocket-like thing shoot through the stars. However, he says it’s the perfect time of year to gaze up at the sky as the northern hemisphere approaches the summer solstice.
Meanwhile, the sky from our vantage point is dark, but everything in orbit is lit up with sunlight, giving astronomers quite a sight.
“If you don’t see a new rocket launch, you might see an old rocket tumbling and flickering or a satellite where the sun is shining on the solar panel,” he says.
“There’s always something going on up there in the sky, so it’s always worth watching.”
Young says what makes these types of sightings so spectacular is the fact that you don’t need specialized equipment to see them – photographers just have to be in the right place at the right time.
A talented astrophotographer
Anderson was recently featured on PetaPixel for his photo of a trio of celestial elements photographed together. During the total lunar eclipse, he was able to capture the blood moon, aurora and milky way together in a stunning panorama.
More of Anderson can be found on his Facebook, Instagram, Twitterand its website.
Picture credits: Photos by Justin Anderson.
