From: ken.edgett@asu.edu (Ken Edgett)
Subject: MPF launch picture!!
Date: Tue, 10 Dec 1996 08:01:26 -0700 (MST)
Mars Educators-- There is a "must see" picture on the Pathfinder Home Page that shows what the launch looked like from Jetty Park (where I was standing). Tim Parker, a member of the science team at JPL, took a sequence of photos showing the launch at various stages, including the beautiful pass by Mars and the Moon that the spacecraft made. It is a lovely picture. You must see it. Here is Tim's message plus the WWW address--- Ken Edgett ---------------- Subject: MPF launch Mime-Version: 1.0 Status: R Troops: Check out my composite view of the Mars Pathfinder Launch as seen from Jetty Park, about 1 3/4 miles south of the launch pad. The image can be viewed on the Mars Pathfinder home page at: http://mpfwww.jpl.nasa.gov/mpf/launch.html I used a frame grabber on my Mac to digitize subframes from an 8mm videotape I recorded the launch with. I used a Sony Hi-8 camcorder with a 2x teleconverter, giving a 24X zoom. The original tape shows everything from the launch through first stage separation and initial firing of the second stage engine, including separation of both the ground- and air-lit solid rocket boosters, plus close passes of Mars and the moon in the sky! Like everyone I've talked to has said about the launch, it was "the coolest thing I've seen," and I'd definitely do it again (does anyone know whether the Casini Titan IV launch next October is a day or night launch?). Hm... -Tim.