For those of you in SoCal, at 10:20 pm today there will be a great chance to put the explore mode/nigh shooting to good use.

Here's more info:
A Falcon 9 rocket carrying a deep space probe is scheduled for launch late this Tuesday evening (November 23) from Vandenberg SFB.   The rocket is slated to lift off from south base at 22:20PST. After climbing vertically for several seconds, the Falcon will begin a gradual turn and head south. The rocket will then roughly parallel the West Coast as it climbs into orbit. If the launch is successful, the Falcon 9 will place NASA's DART spacecraft into a temporary orbit before sending it on a10-month journey to impact the asteroid Dimorphos.   Although launch occurs long after sunset, viewing may be hampered by a bright moon in the eastern sky. Weather permitting, the bright orange flame from the rocket's first stage could initially be visible to the unaided eye as far away as Big Sur, Bakersfield, and Palos Verdes, Calif. As the rocket gains altitude, it should become visible over a wider area and observers in dark locations may see a tenuous exhaust plume from the first and second stage engines.   People in very quiet locations in coastal Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties and the western Santa Monica mountains may hear a distant,muffled rumble from the launch sometime between T+4 and T+12 minutes.   For the best view of the launch, find a dark location with an unobstructed horizon towards the launch site and rocket's flight path. The best locations may be between Carpinteria and Ventura, between Point Mugu and Malibu, the western Santa Monica Mountains, and the western Palos Verdes Peninsula.   Regardless of where you plan to view the launch, allow enough time to get there well before liftoff. Be careful when driving,especially on unfamiliar roads. After you arrive, be aware of your surroundings and possible hazards.   For launch status and countdown information, go to:        www.spaceflightnow.com        www.spacex.com        www.nasa.gov/live   The Internet countdown feed may be delayed by several seconds. Rather than relying on the feed for launch cueing, use a GPS receiver or another source for the exact time. You can also set your watch to the exact time using the National Institute of Standards and Technology (www.time.gov).   For information on viewing Vandenberg rocket and missile launches, go to:        www.spacearchive.info/vafbview.htm

Tonight's planned launch of a Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg SFB appears to be on schedule. The rocket is slated to lift off from south base at 10:21:02 p.m. PST and place NASA's DART spacecraft into a temporary orbit before sending it to the asteroid Dimorphos. Weather permitting, the event could be visible over a wide area.

I'm nowhere near the launch site but I sure wish them success. Preservation of the planet ought to be a high priority for us.

Hello there DarthSLR. Good day and thank you for sharing these information with us. Great information and have a nice day.

And of course NOW we have clouds..

These are NOT drone pictures. But hey, it could have been, if only I had my Mavic 3 Cine in working condition as opposed to heading to replacement...

First appearance, just above neighbors' roof.



Better view



Getting higher



Last one



Enjoy!

That would be a cool event to capture indeed.

DarthSLR Posted at 11-23 22:53
These are NOT drone pictures. But hey, it could have been, if only I had my Mavic 3 Cine in working condition as opposed to heading to replacement...

First appearance, just above neighbors' roof.

Wow, nicely done!

DarthSLR Posted at 11-23 22:53
These are NOT drone pictures. But hey, it could have been, if only I had my Mavic 3 Cine in working condition as opposed to heading to replacement...

First appearance, just above neighbors' roof.

They are brilliant,   what focal length was that?  Especially the blue rocket tail.

Montfrooij Posted at 11-24 00:00
Wow, nicely done!

Thanks, I tried!

DAFlys Posted at 11-24 02:00
They are brilliant,   what focal length was that?  Especially the blue rocket tail.

Thank you! As I said, it was pretty hazy, so a lot of details got lost.
It was effective 560mm.
The lens is Canon 200-400/4 with built-in x1.4 extender engaged, on a full-frame Canon 5D4. Naturally, on a tripod.

DarthSLR Posted at 11-24 07:15
Thanks, I tried!

You're welcome.

DarthSLR Posted at 11-24 07:21
Thank you! As I said, it was pretty hazy, so a lot of details got lost.
It was effective 560mm.
The lens is Canon 200-400/4 with built-in x1.4 extender engaged, on a full-frame Canon 5D4. Naturally, on a tripod.

That is a big combo.
Do you have one of these heads that allows for balanced mounting (and is quick to mover around)?

Actually, on a cyan shot you can see booster separated, a little orange spec to the right.

Montfrooij Posted at 11-24 07:23
That is a big combo.
Do you have one of these heads that allows for balanced mounting (and is quick to mover around)?

Yes, I do use the original Wimberley gimbal head and a sturdy large tripod. The lens is monstrous, my smaller tripods/heads cannot deal with it.

DarthSLR Posted at 11-24 07:21
Thank you! As I said, it was pretty hazy, so a lot of details got lost.
It was effective 560mm.
The lens is Canon 200-400/4 with built-in x1.4 extender engaged, on a full-frame Canon 5D4. Naturally, on a tripod.

Thats pretty good going for that lens,  I assume you had something longer.   

DAFlys Posted at 11-24 08:03
Thats pretty good going for that lens,  I assume you had something longer.

I could have put an extra x1.4 AND put it on a crop sensor body (thus gaining extra 1.6), but it was already dark, so I opted for better quality. Besides, this is not the first launch I observed/shot, I looks like 200..560mm is plenty enough range, both to get the details and also catch the "aura" of the later phase (was almost non-existent this time due to haziness).

DarthSLR Posted at 11-23 22:53
These are NOT drone pictures. But hey, it could have been, if only I had my Mavic 3 Cine in working condition as opposed to heading to replacement...

First appearance, just above neighbors' roof.

Amazing regardless of the camera used..

Visual Air Posted at 11-24 09:40
Amazing regardless of the camera used..

Thank you, captain!

DarthSLR Posted at 11-24 07:30
Yes, I do use the original Wimberley gimbal head and a sturdy large tripod. The lens is monstrous, my smaller tripods/heads cannot deal with it.

Such a great piece of kit that gimbal head. Great for big glass.

Nicodema Posted at 11-24 10:35
Such a great piece of kit that gimbal head. Great for big glass.

Very much so. Smooth as a butter.

DarthSLR Posted at 11-24 08:22
I could have put an extra x1.4 AND put it on a crop sensor body (thus gaining extra 1.6), but it was already dark, so I opted for better quality. Besides, this is not the first launch I observed/shot, I looks like 200..560mm is plenty enough range, both to get the details and also catch the "aura" of the later phase (was almost non-existent this time due to haziness).

I have the 70-200 f2.8 IS USM lens and both convertors,  Id never though of trying both at the same time.   might be worth an experiment. but then we never get cool thinks like rockets over head like that.

DAFlys Posted at 11-24 11:02
I have the 70-200 f2.8 IS USM lens and both convertors,  Id never though of trying both at the same time.   might be worth an experiment. but then we never get cool thinks like rockets over head like that.

Two external converters definitely afect the overall quality, but when it comes to shot/no-shot decision it might worth it.

Yeah, we're lucky in this regard, Vandenberg is just 200 miles North up the coast from us, and most of their launches head South along the coast, i.e. in our general direction. On a good day you can see them as far down as Mexico/Baja California, but that is rare.
The typical problem with rocket launches is that military ones are not on a tight public schedule and not reported online, I think for security reasons. You get some ungodly launch window, like 1am till 6am and that's it. Considering the entire affair typically lasts 2-5 minutes, chances are you'll miss it entirely. The SpaceX/NASA ones is a different animal, with online live coverage, launch at precise announced time, whole nine yards.

DarthSLR Posted at 11-24 11:49
Two external converters definitely afect the overall quality, but when it comes to shot/no-shot decision it might worth it.

Yeah, we're lucky in this regard, Vandenberg is just 200 miles North up the coast from us, and most of their launches head South along the coast, i.e. in our general direction. On a good day you can see them as far down as Mexico/Baja California, but that is rare.

Oh man,  staying up all night on the off chance to capture the rocket launch is dedication.

Ive watched quite a few of the falcon 9 launches and it still amazes me when they land.

DarthSLR Posted at 11-24 07:30
Yes, I do use the original Wimberley gimbal head and a sturdy large tripod. The lens is monstrous, my smaller tripods/heads cannot deal with it.

Yes, that is what I meant.
I never had these kind of lenses. My biggest one is a 85mm f/1.8
But I don't want to carry more, so that is as big as I go.

DAFlys Posted at 11-25 00:12
Oh man,  staying up all night on the off chance to capture the rocket launch is dedication.

Ive watched quite a few of the falcon 9 launches and it still amazes me when they land.

I tried a few "night watches", but stopped. But as I said, that's for military.  SpaceX and other public ones are extremely accurately timed. Worst case is that they abandon the launch last minute, and reschedule it for later, but if they do launch it, it's always on the dot, so no unnecessary waiting required.

Montfrooij Posted at 11-25 00:42
Yes, that is what I meant.
I never had these kind of lenses. My biggest one is a 85mm f/1.8
But I don't want to carry more, so that is as big as I go.

I hear you. I got it for occasional wildlife, reenactments and airshows, but it is useful for rocket launches as well. I never carry it more than a couple hundred yards from the car.

DarthSLR Posted at 11-25 07:33
I hear you. I got it for occasional wildlife, reenactments and airshows, but it is useful for rocket launches as well. I never carry it more than a couple hundred yards from the car.

Better that way indeed.
I'm used to taking the camera with me for walks and a FF  DSLR + 4 prime lenses is more than enough. (usually I don't take all of them with me)

Montfrooij Posted at 11-25 08:33
Better that way indeed.
I'm used to taking the camera with me for walks and a FF  DSLR + 4 prime lenses is more than enough. (usually I don't take all of them with me)

I used to do that. Granted, I have never personally been big fan of primes (I understand their value, just don't like them), so mostly carried 1-2 zooms. But then iPhone 5 came out and I stopped doing that . Naturally, I use DSLRs for my "real" shoots, but for casual stuff I find modern smartphones more than adequate. Hey, they take better pictures nowadays than my old Canon 20D did, and remember how crazy everybody was about it at the time? ;)

DarthSLR Posted at 11-25 08:42
I used to do that. Granted, I have never personally been big fan of primes (I understand their value, just don't like them), so mostly carried 1-2 zooms. But then iPhone 5 came out and I stopped doing that . Naturally, I use DSLRs for my "real" shoots, but for casual stuff I find modern smartphones more than adequate. Hey, they take better pictures nowadays than my old Canon 20D did, and remember how crazy everybody was about it at the time? ;)

Funny, I went the other way (replacing my zooms for primes).
I like the process better now.
And the weight in my hands.
I'm more aware of the focal length I want and have to decide about that before the action happens.
It makes me take less pictures, but (usually) better ones.
However, it is most certainly not a perfect solution. I do miss shots (but that's ok).
I seldom use my phone for anything other than social posts.
I have an iPhone, but really like my DSLR for what it can do (video + stills)