Image Credit &Copyright: Rick Baldridge
Explanation: In this alluring time exposure, star trails arc across the night sky above foggy Monterey Bay and the lights of Santa Cruz, California in theUnited States of America. Since the exposure began around 2:56am PDT on July 2 it also records the trail of aDelta II rocket loftingNASA's OCO-2spacecraft into orbit. Seen from a vantage point 200 miles north of theVandenberg Air Force Baselaunch site, the trail represents the first five minutes of therocket's flight along a trajectory south and west over the Pacific to join theA-Train in polar orbit around planet Earth.The entire trail through main engine cut-off is captured, with a very faint puff at the end marking the nose fairing separation. Under the rocket's path, the two brightest trails are the alpha and beta stars of the constellation Grus, flying high in southern skies. The OCO-2 mission goal is a study of atmospheric carbon dioxide,watching from space asplanet Earth breathes.
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