IRIDESCENT CLOUDS FORMED HIGH IN THE STRATOSPHERE FROM THE TITAN IV ROCKET EXHAUST:

THE NIGHT IMAGES BELOW ARE FROM THE CLOUDS FORMED BY THE TITAN IV ROCKET LAUNCH AT VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, CALIFORNIA, (JUST NORTH OF LOS ANGELES) AT 1:05 PM CDT ON 10/19/05. THE IRIDESCENT ARTIFICIAL CLOUDS HIGH IN THE STRATOSPHERE (A LITTLE OVER 100,000 FT ABOVE SEA LEVEL) WERE FORMED FROM THE EXHAUST OF TITAN IV. THE VAPOR TRAIL GOT CAUGHT IN A STRONG JET STREAM MOVING QUICKLY ACROSS THE U.S. AND WAS CENTERED NEAR THE MIDDLE OF NEW MEXICO AT THE TIME OF THESE IMAGES. THEIR APPEARANCE IS SIMILAR TO THAT OF NACREOUS CLOUDS THAT OCCUR NATURALLY AT HIGH LATITUDES.

THE IMAGES WERE CONFIRMED WITH THE HELP OF ATMOSPHERIC OPTICS EXPERT, LES COWLEY, FROM ENGLAND. HE WAS ALSO ASSISTED BY HARALD EDENS, ALSO AN ATMOSPHERIC OPTICS EXPERT, IN NEW MEXICO. HARALD WAS NEAR SOCORRO, NM HOPING TO GET IMAGES TO THE WEST FROM THE CLOUDS LEFT FROM THE LAUNCH BUT INSTEAD NOTICED VERY STRANGE CIRRUS LOOKING CLOUDS OVERHEAD. THESE WERE AT TOO HIGH OF ELEVATION ANGLE TO SHOW ANY IRIDESCENCE COLOR. THE CLOUDS HE SAW WERE AT A MUCH HIGHER ALTITUDE WHERE MUCH FASTER WINDS WERE BLOWING. AFTER REVIEWING THE WEATHER MAPS, IT WAS CONCLUDED THAT THE CLOUDS DIRECTLY OVERHEAD WERE THE LEFTOVER CLOUDS FROM THE ROCKET LAUNCH. THANKS TO LES AND HAROLD FOR THEIR ASSISTANCE WITH THE CORRECT IDENTIFICATION OF THESE CLOUDS FOR ME.

I FIRST NOTICED THE AREA AS A SUSPICIOUS WHITE GLOW IN THE DARK SKY ABOUT 5 TO 10 DEGREES ABOVE WHERE THE SUN SET.  I WAS DRIVING HOME WITH MY KIDS, KARISSA AND RYAN, AND WE WERE ABOUT 4 MINUTES FROM HOME.  WHEN WE WERE ABOUT 1/2 MINUTE FROM HOME I NOTICED IT APPEARED TO HAVE SOME COLOR.  I HAD A CAMERA, CAMCORDER AND TRIPOD IN THE PICKUP FOR STORMCHASING, BUT IT DIDN’T APPEAR LIKELY THAT I WOULD HAVE A NEED TO USE IT.  WE QUICKLY GOT HOME, PULLED OUT THE CAMERA AND TRIPOD AND RAN 200 FEET WEST TO A VISIBLE HIGH SPOT TO SHOOT.  BY THIS TIME THE COLOR WAS VIVID AND I KNEW WE WERE OBSERVING SOMETHING QUITE UNUSUAL.  THE 1ST IMAGE WAS NEAR THE PEAK, AS IT APPEARED TO FADE SLIGHTLY OVER THE NEXT 4 MINUTES.  WE HAD 3 AUTOS DRIVE BY ON THE STREET IN FRONT OF US THAT PREVENTED US FROM SHOOTING CONTINUOUSLY.  RYAN TOOK 2 PICS WITH HIS CELL PHONE BUT OF COURSE THAT DOESN'T WORK VERY WELL AT NIGHT, BUT DID SHOW A COLORFUL BLURR.  THE ENTIRE TIME THAT THE CLOUDS WERE VISIBLE TO US WAS PROBABLY ONLY 9 TO 11 MINUTES. IF THERE HAD NOT BEEN A GOOD CHANCE OF A TORNADO IN OKLAHOMA THAT DAY, I DEFINITELY WOULD HAVE MISSED THE BEST SHOT AND PERHAPS ALL OF IT. FOR THE RECORD, THERE WERE 3 TORNADOES REPORTED IN OKLAHOMA THAT DAY, ABOUT 100 MILES TO MY NORTHWEST.

ALL IMAGES BELOW ARE VIEWING TO THE WSW WITH A NIKON D70 70-300mm 10s to 20s. THE FIRST IMAGE IS NEAR THE PEAK COLOR AT 7:40 OR 49 MINUTES AFTER SUNSET. PLEASE NOTE THE HORIZON IS NEAR THE YARD LIGHTS IN THE DISTANCE AND SHOULD NOT BE CONFUSED WITH THE CLOUD TOPS FROM THE STORMS OF THE APPROACHING DRY LINE. NONE OF THE IMAGES HAVE BEEN ALTERED, ENHANCED, OR MODIFIED IN ANY WAY.

BELOW I TRIED A CLOSER VIEW.

JUST A SKY SHOT THIS TIME.

NOW A DIFFERENT VIEW.

JUST ABOUT OVER AT 7:44 OR 53 MINUTES AFTER SUNSET.

BELOW ARE IMAGES TAKEN BY BRIAN LOCKETT OF THE LAUNCH FROM VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE IN CALIFORNIA. IT IS THE VAPOR TRAIL FROM THIS ROCKET LAUNCH THAT GOT CAUGHT UP IN A FAST MOVING JET STREAM AND CREATED OUR UNFORGETTABLE VIEW.

T+49 T+103

©2005 BRIAN LOCKETT, SHOWN WITH PERMISSION.

VANDENBERG, CA WOULD BE A 1471.6 MILE DRIVE FROM OKARCHE, OK AND THESE IMAGES ARE 6 HOURS AND 35 MINUTES AFTER LAUNCH. IT IS NOT UNUSUAL TO GET THESE COLORFUL NIGHT CLOUDS AFTER A ROCKET LAUNCH……..BUT IT IS FROM NEARLY 1500 MILES AWAY. THANKS FOR YOUR INTEREST.

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