I got up before dawn on this morning as the constellation Gemini headed towards the Western horizon, so see whether I could catch a meteor over Mount Whitney. I did catch one, slightly to the left of center.
There's a brighter object over Mount Whitney as well which I can't identify… it turns, and appears on only one frame. It could be an F-18 jet from China Lake Naval Weapons Station nearby.
Geminid Meteor over Mount Whitney
Google+: Reshared 38 times
Google+: View post on Google+
So how did we do in 2025? Judge for yourself. Is there anything we could…
Our calendar for a new year is set in place as we finalize photography workshop…
First, let's establish what a "super bloom" of wildflowers is, or isn't. It seems to…
Many of us are used to pursuing landscape photography with focal lengths that range from…
This was one of those "stop the car" moments. Snowy Telescope Peak had nice side…
The Geminids are the most active meteor shower of the year, and in recent years…
This website uses cookies.
View Comments
really fantastic image!
Beautiful shot +Jeff Sullivan! It would have been cool if that F-18 was actually a UFO. He he.
Amazing.
Wonderful!
I like the parallel star trails in this image. The only time I've been to Death Valley driving from lone pine we had an f-18 flyover, it must have been only a couple hundred feet up. One of the most exhilarating things I've ever experienced!
Technically it is a UFO +Mark Esguerra, I don't know that it was an F-18, I'm simply speculating about what might fly, turn, and not display normal aircraft lights. An F-18 involved in an exercise to elude other F-18s could fit that description.
Wonderful star trails
Amazing image +Jeff Sullivan
Edited with Adobe PhotoShop Light-room 4.3, Photo Of Death Vally National Park Meteorite Show,, awesommmmmee !
I've been standing at Father Crowley Point +Scott Horwath when an F-18 erupted from the adjacent chasm, heading up at a 45 degree angle. They're travelling close to the speed of sound, so you can't hear them coming until the roar of their jet engines pops up next to you 100 yards away. You just about jump right out of your boots!
I was taking a picture of a chuckwalla nearby, and I swiveled around to catch the jet, but it was too fast... I caught it, but without any landscape in the frame. I'd love to catch that shot someday though... a jet just emerging from that deep rift in the ground.