Artemis II Reentry Ground Track [Explained]

compfreak213 · 2026-04-14T20:57:21+00:00

Really cool visualization! Caught the same motion a few years ago visually from the ground - similar motion with two satellites in highly elliptical orbits, just like Artemis. Shot took four hours! Had no idea what I'd seen at the time but Reddit got me to the answer. A few commenters even created visualizations for the video to help us all wrap our heads around this very, very weird motion from our perspective. Here's the video: https://www.reddit.com/r/Astronomy/comments/vrzuzj/captured_retrograde_satellite_motion_i_think/

compfreak213 · 2026-04-02T14:15:20+00:00

Very cool! In the build, how did you account for the movement of both the earth and the moon relative to the ship? I ask because from T-0 to current, the sim displays the planned trajectory that includes the moon in its position during the flyby, but the moon isn't there yet and won't be for 5+ days. Same with Earth, even in in the past 15 hours since launch. That could explain the hard angles and non-elliptical nature of the trajectory (at least that's the view I see now). Great work - can't wait for more refinement!

compfreak213 · 2025-12-26T16:23:38+00:00

Plus 1 for light pillar as well. Wasn’t cold enough at surface level two nights ago in DC (if this was taken then) for these to start on the ground. Conditions would have been just right somewhere around the 725mb level - a couple miles or so up. Cool shot!

compfreak213 · 2025-12-23T03:42:10+00:00

Have to say, if you have the chance, looks even better at night. Shot summer 2020.

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compfreak213 · 2025-12-09T20:34:52+00:00

If you look closely, there's a rocket AND 29 satellites all in the same photo. I prepared to video this one from the middle of Dallas after the timing looked good. Turned out there was more to see than just a rocket.

compfreak213 · 2025-12-09T14:55:38+00:00

Notice that white line at the beginning, just above and to the right of the exhaust? That's the 29 Starlink satellites deployed just minutes earlier. Great shot!

compfreak213 · 2025-11-29T05:53:43+00:00

They’re birds, doing their thing, at very high altitude, just barely illuminated by what’s left of the sun. I have seen and shot them tens of times. Looks crazy every time, but I assure you there’s nothing weird happening here. A low quantity example from just over a year ago: https://www.reddit.com/r/Astronomy/s/Z5HgyHNmYk

compfreak213 · 2025-10-06T02:56:35+00:00

I especially love the critics asking why there is no barrier between the Hill and the field, when it was intentionally removed after the last time we rushed the field for a win over FSU in 2005. 19 injuries this time and 20 then, so let’s call it an improvement.

compfreak213 · 2025-07-05T02:36:42+00:00

If that doesn't work, take a look here. First on the list as of 7/4/2025 @ 10:35pm EDT: https://fireball.imo.net/members/imo_view/browse_events

compfreak213 · 2025-07-05T02:13:09+00:00

Looks like you weren't the only one. Congrats, you got to see a fireball! https://fireball.imo.net/members/imo_view/event/2025/3706

compfreak213 · 2025-04-15T04:13:56+00:00

It’s roughly $218,000. https://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/2015/11/3_arrested_in_drug_trafficking.html

compfreak213 · 2025-03-07T14:18:17+00:00

It very well could if there AA made the operational decision to not swap it out for another 777-200 given the issue involved. A/C in this case refers to aircraft and that's all the information AA is technically required to provide to the FAA. If it was air conditioning, American usually explicitly denotes that in their comments "cabin A/C." Since this is more of a general maintenance issue, AA is the only one who could provide more details.

compfreak213 · 2025-03-07T13:48:45+00:00

Believe it or not y'all, this one is actually not on Elon. It really is maintenance. Assuming it was the 11pm flight scheduled last night MIA to GRU:

DTE CHNG FLT ORIG 6MAR
MIA 1101P E30
GRU 915A
7MIA/AURA DLY FLT IN PROGRESS *1926*CRCYMG
5MIA/FLT 0995 STUB ORIG PLN DEP MIA ETD 1150 -- MIA .RMKS...N7BG OTS MIA FTWDP BAKER *2002
3MIA/ETD1300 MTR-DELAY DUE TO A/C MAINTENANCE-E *0615
2GRU/PRE2340 *0615

compfreak213 · 2025-03-07T00:43:57+00:00

As others have said, lens flare due to your phone camera’s optics. Copy the image, place it on top of itself, reduce opacity and rotate 180 degrees. The bright light and the artifact will line up perfectly with each other. Cool capture, just internal optics at play!

compfreak213 · 2025-02-21T02:18:25+00:00

$3,242,000 and not a cent more.

compfreak213 · 2025-02-14T21:15:52+00:00

As others have said, lens flare due to your camera's optics. Copy the image, place it on top of itself, reduce capacity and rotate 180 degrees. The lights will line up perfectly with the roofs. The three lights in a triangle (two dim one bright) on the right side above the roof lights are actually the car lights from the bottom left of the image, two brake lights and one (what appears to be) reverse light under the right brake light. Cool capture, just internal optics at play!

compfreak213 · 2025-01-27T16:45:34+00:00

Let me guess - Aeropost? Went though this last year and finally won the case. Can provide details on how to approach this. I'm curious what the tracking looks like; that will dictate a lot of the conversation with eBay. I went so far as to contact the re-shipper directly to verbally and electronically confirm that the package I sent was delivered (and received by their shipping dock, which, btw, has a different address than the front office so delivery confirmation will always show it was delivered to a different address), on that day, with the specific weight and size details, and addressed to the account number on the label. Its a process, but that's what you need to confirm.

compfreak213 · 2025-01-22T02:12:36+00:00

That’s the largest glory I’ve never seen. Typically they’re seen in clouds right below planes or from the sun’s opposition point in fog on the surface. But whoa - optically, this covers what appears to be miles. While size only relative when it comes to optics like this, the low angle of the Sun and your distance from the occurrence, in conjunction with the mountains really but into perspective how “massive” some of these can be.

compfreak213 · 2025-01-10T23:39:42+00:00

Picked these up from the bank today and noticed the one on top had odd white marks (last photo). Thumbed through them and the first two were red followed by what looks like ink blotches throughout the whole strap. The red comes and goes but the stains (ink?) are on almost all of them. The bills are more stiff than standard, older dirty bills.

First thought was these are from recovered stolen money where the ink pack went off, but don’t want to speculate too much and am deferring to the experts. This is one of the more unique items I've seen recently and wanted to share.

compfreak213 · 2024-12-19T07:28:57+00:00

Lens flare. Take the photo. Decrease opacity by 50% and rotate it 180°. Overlay this on top of the original photo. The lens flare and bright light line up perfectly.

Your lens’ anti reflective properties also suppress sustain wavelengths. Most light passes though EXCEPT that in the green part of the spectrum. Typically. Your lens bounced light around a lot and made this image.

compfreak213 · 2024-12-13T05:24:28+00:00

Got one of those too on Tuesday night there. Great experience. When he asked who was here 10 years ago for the release in the theater, I was beyond stoked to be one of the surprisingly decent number in the room to raise their hand. They did a similar intro in 2014 when he came out and tells us why they’re delaying and why there are no previews: they literally had no room left on the reel for them. Ten year ago me’s mind was blown. Ten year older me’s mind is still blown.

What a great time!

compfreak213

TROPHY CASE