Michael Seeley

#SpaceX #FalconHeavy #USSF44 booster landings. Volume on. Mind blown.

@JoeTegtmeyer @SpaceX @NASA Thanks, Joe!

@MikeSeeley @SpaceX @NASA Beautiful!

One of my photos of the March 4 Starlink 10-40 SpaceX Falcon 9 launch was chosen as NASA’s Astronomy Picture of the Day (”APOD”) for today. I’m humbled by this, as the “Space Jellyfish” shown was visible across much of the U.S. East Coast, and many very cool photos were captured of it. The caption, written by the very smart Cecilia Chirenti, well describes the phenomenon shown. Photos don’t really do it justice; it’s truly breathtaking, like a giant illuminated flower opening in the night, or, if a more apocalyptic tone is your thing, it’s like the night sky is ripping open. Big shout-out to the ever-cool and ubiquitous John “Snap” Kraus aka @johnkrausphotos, who has developed an app to gauge the likelihood of a still sometimes surprising space jelly, located in public beta here: jellyfish.johnkrausphotos.com. The prediction for this launch was good, and this is a tool every launch/weather enthusiast should know about. This frame was captured using the same camera I stuck in the Banana River for the streak, inverted under my tripod, just a couple of inches above the water. The water wasn’t still enough for the mirrored shot I hoped for, but the jelly glow is reflected nicely. After I ended the streak shot, I quickly dialed in some settings, and this is what I came up with. APOD link here: apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260319.… Details: ISO1250, f4.5, and 1.3-secs captured with a @CanonUSA R5M2 and EF24-70mm L lens.

@thejackbeyer @RyanVandeWater @SpaceX @NASA @w00ki33 @rocketgobrrrrr @AJamesMcCarthy still an epic shot; you = the man, Jack

@MikeSeeley @RyanVandeWater @SpaceX @NASA @w00ki33 @rocketgobrrrrr @AJamesMcCarthy Oh god this image is almost 8 years old and I still hate myself to fucking up the S2 burn

@ldzi3lak @SpaceX @NASA It’s an amazing lens.

@MikeSeeley @SpaceX @NASA Amazing and congrats!! So now I do need a 24-70mm L for my R6M2.

@RyanVandeWater @SpaceX @NASA Yeah, @w00ki33 @rocketgobrrrrr @AJamesMcCarthy @thejackbeyer

@MikeSeeley @SpaceX @NASA I need to get off my buttocks and get over to Vandenburg… anyone doing these kinds of shots on the west coast?

@RavenOfSpace @SpaceX @NASA The app takes that into account

@MikeSeeley @SpaceX @NASA Glad to hear it. Observer location skew the results at all?

@RyanVandeWater @SpaceX @NASA Full scene in a 386-sec exposure

@MikeSeeley @SpaceX @NASA is this the ascent plume and also the booster descent plume together?

“Why go to the space when we have other problems here at home?” A tale as old as time… #1: we can do them BOTH #2: national security, science and discovery, potential lunar economy, inspiration

@AJamesMcCarthy @GeorgeAlderman_ @SpaceX @NASA Thanks, Andrew, you = cool.

@MikeSeeley @GeorgeAlderman_ @SpaceX @NASA Amazing work!

@BeatriceHeinze @SpaceX @NASA Thank you!

@MikeSeeley @SpaceX @NASA Congratulations! Spectacular photo! Well deserved!

@CRDePalma @SpaceX @NASA Thank you!

@MikeSeeley @SpaceX @NASA It is a beauty !

@tanyaweiman @SpaceX @NASA Thank you!

@MikeSeeley @SpaceX @NASA Stunning!! Well deserved!

@RavenOfSpace @SpaceX @NASA Thus far, for me, it's been great.

@MikeSeeley @SpaceX @NASA Space jellyfish meets predictive modeling. Real question: how's the beta performed against actual observed plumes so far?

@AustinDeSisto @GeorgeAlderman_ @SpaceX @NASA Thanks!

@MikeSeeley @GeorgeAlderman_ @SpaceX @NASA Congrats!

The next chapter of America’s journey to explore the solar system begins TONIGHT. Artemis II and the SLS rocket roll out of the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Complex 39B as we target a launch attempt as early as April 1. This mission will potentially send astronauts farther into space than any human has traveled before - around the Moon and safely back home. And, under @POTUS’ National Space Policy Directive, we’re just getting started.

@johnkrausphotos @wxbrad Brad. ‘Sup.

Brad, this language looks virtually identical to my website’s prediction. The heat map is very similar too. “strongly aided by high sky-plume contrast. Strongly helped by plume illumination. Helped by plume elevation above the horizon. Rocket enters sunlight: ~T+03:25” This language appears to come straight from a jellyfish.johnkrausphotos.com prediction output. While the tool is provided freely for the community (at great effort and time to create, and moderate ongoing costs to myself) in efforts to inspire people to look up and be excited by spaceflight, it’s disappointing to see it presented here without attribution. Please be sure to include attribution to third-party resources, including the space jellyfish predictor. Cheers, John

"Jellyfish" cloud alert Thursday morning. The current time of the East Coast #Falcon9 rocket launch is perfect for a well-defined jellyfish cloud. The green area on the map has the highest chance of seeing it and is strongly aided by high sky-plume contrast. Strongly helped by plume illumination. Helped by plume elevation above the horizon. Rocket enters sunlight: ~T+03:25 #spaceX #falcon9 #starlink #cltwx #ncwx #scwx #wcnc

If you have a moment, watch @NASA astronauts at work during their spacewalk.

Due to quicker-than-expected completion of closeout activities, Artemis II rollout may now begin as soon as Thursday, March 19. A final decision will be made on Wednesday. More info: go.nasa.gov/419QL5d

@NASAAdmin (Great shot, Snap aka @johnkrausphotos)

This = epic. Well done.