Category: Miscellaneous babble

Random mutterings

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SpaceX Falcon Heavy USSF-67 launch

Most of the SpaceX Falcon launches we see from the house are Dragon CRS missions headed toward the ISS, so I wasn’t expecting to be able to see today’s Falcon Heavy USSF-67 launch since it was supposed to be headed to a geosynchronous orbit.

We stepped outside to have a look anyway just in case and much to my surprise, we saw the exhaust trail pretty clearly a little bit lower toward the horizon. This photo was a couple minutes after the launch and just after the side boosters separated.

Exhaust trail from the SpaceX Falcon Heavy USSF-67 mission launch
Exhaust trail from the SpaceX Falcon Heavy USSF-67 mission launch

Here the side boosters have begun turning back toward their landing pads while the center booster continues on.

Exhaust trail from the SpaceX Falcon Heavy USSF-67 mission launch. Exhaust trail from the side boosters turning back is visible on the right
Exhaust trail from the SpaceX Falcon Heavy USSF-67 mission launch. Exhaust trail from the side boosters turning back is visible on the right

The two side boosters are visible as two specks of light. After this, we could see them flash every now and then as their steering jets fired.

Exhaust trail from the SpaceX Falcon Heavy USSF-67 mission launch. Exhaust trail and the two side boosters turning back is visible on the right
Exhaust trail from the SpaceX Falcon Heavy USSF-67 mission launch. Exhaust trail and the two side boosters turning back is visible on the right
Exhaust trail from the SpaceX Falcon Heavy USSF-67 mission launch. Exhaust trail and the two side boosters turning back is visible on the right
Exhaust trail from the SpaceX Falcon Heavy USSF-67 mission launch. Exhaust trail and the two side boosters turning back is visible on the right

This was the first time we’d seen a Falcon Heavy and the two side boosters from the house. It was pretty cool.

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Christmas Nativity 2022

Christmas eve, and Mary and Joseph are settling down in the stable.

Mary and Joseph have arrived at the stable. A few shepherds are hanging around tending to their animals.
Mary and Joseph have arrived at the stable. A few shepherds are hanging around tending to their animals.

The animals are on the way in the Ark. This year, they’re joined by two Christmas lobsters. If you didn’t know that lobsters were present at the birth of Jesus, then you should watch Love Actually.

Animals on the Ark making their way to the stable. Two Christmas lobsters have joined the party.
Animals on the Ark making their way to the stable. Two Christmas lobsters have joined the party.

Christmas morning! The shepherds have come to the stable with their flock to see the new baby.

Shepherds and some of their flock gathered to see the new baby
Shepherds and some of their flock gathered to see the new baby

The wise men from the East have gathered to marvel at the new star. As usual, Lt. Cmdr. Data has joined them as their guide.

Wise men have gathered to marvel at the new star. Lt Cmdr Data guides the way with his star charts.
Wise men have gathered to marvel at the new star. Lt Cmdr Data guides the way with his star charts.

All the animals have arrived at the stable to see the new baby!

The animals, joined by the Christmas lobsters this year, have left the Ark and arrived at the stable. Some of the tree ornaments hitched a ride as the Ark passed by.
The animals, joined by the Christmas lobsters this year, have left the Ark and arrived at the stable. Some of the tree ornaments hitched a ride as the Ark passed by.
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Merry Christmas!

Season’s greetings and all that!

Hoping everyone had a decent enough 2022. Have a good and safe holiday season, and a mostly uneventful year for 2023!

A Charlie Brown Christmas tree in the office
A Charlie Brown Christmas tree sitting on top of two radios in the shack.
Linus, Lucy, and Woodstock on the shelf with two radios on another shelf below.
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Pixel 6 X-ray

A radiograph of my new Pixel 6 phone. The Pixel 6 is a big chunky phone with a lot of stuff in it.

X-ray image of a Pixel 6 smartphone
X-ray image of a Pixel 6 smartphone. 80 kV, 1 mAs

This one was acquired using a portable x-ray unit at 80 kV, 1 mAs, and the small focal spot. It’s raised up about 25 cm above the image receptor for a bit of magnification (about 1.3x) and cropped in from the original image.

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SpaceX, Starlink, and planets

Managed to catch the SpaceX launch of more Starlink satellites this morning.

Also participating in the show were four planets in the early morning sky: Venus, Jupiter, Mars, and Saturn.

Four planets in the sky. From lower left to upper right: Venus, Jupiter, Mars, and Saturn
Four planets in the sky. From lower left to upper right: Venus, Jupiter, Mars, and Saturn

A couple minutes or so after the launch, we spotted the Falcon 9 plume.

SpaceX Falcon 9 exhaust plume visible over some houses in the foreground.
SpaceX Falcon 9 exhaust plume

This was shortly after the second stage separation and fairing separation. The two small specks of light close to each other are the two fairing halves. The third speck of light just behind and below the other two is the booster stage on its way back to the barge off the South Carolina coast. The speck of light above the rocket plume is Mars.

Falcon 9 rocket plume. Faintly visible are the two fairing halves and the first stage booster. Mars is in the background above the plume.
Falcon 9 rocket plume. Faintly visible are the two fairing halves and the first stage booster. Mars is in the background above the plume.

This shows the fairing halves and first stage booster a little better (lower right). Also visible are Venus and Jupiter in the lower left of the image. The larger blob of light above and to the left of the second stage rocket is just internal reflection of a street light across the street.

Falcon 9 second stage rocket. Visible in the lower right are the two fairing halves and the first stage booster. Venus and Jupiter are toward the lower left.
Falcon 9 second stage rocket. Visible in the lower right are the two fairing halves and the first stage booster. Venus and Jupiter are toward the lower left.

Always neat to see a rocket streaking by.