SpaceX recently achieved tremendous fete catching a rocket booster using gigantic towers when it descend to earth.
While many watched the event on SpaceX’s livestream, one Andrew McCarthy had a different plan.
The Arizona-based space enthusiast used a hired $17,000 lens to capture every moment in razor-sharp detail.
Although the details of the lens and camera hardware remain a mystery, the output was nothing short of spectacular.
Well…
How Did It Go Down?
McCarthy provides a detailed breakdown of the events through a video posted on his official X (formerly Twitter) account.
The space hobbyist took the shots while standing five miles away from SpaceX’s Starship launchpad.
He captures, tracks, and stabilizes every frame, which proved challenging, while simultaneously taking snapshots.
McCarthy zooms mid-footage on the firing 33 rockets, creating a lens flare with a charming sun halo effect.
He continues to track Starship to an altitude of about 50 miles when it detaches from the booster.
However, it gets challenging for the space hobbyist to maintain focus, forcing him to take several cuts.
McCarthy eventually makes quick adjustments, capturing every moment until the colossal launch pad catches the booster.
The kicker?
You Can Own a Piece of SpaceX’s Rocket-Catching Historic Event
It turns out McCarthy isn’t just a celestial explorer – He sells merchandise obtained from his exploration activities.
He’s now offering a high-quality 280-megapixel composite image stitched from multiple snapshots of the event.
The prints are available in PhotoRag and C-type Fuji paper, which are well-known for impeccable archival quality.
Surprisingly, most of this event’s items available in McCarthy’s Cosmic Background store are out of stock.
The good news?
McCarthy was generous enough to offer free mobile wallpapers, enabling everyone to glace at the memorable event every time they use their phones.
Wrapping up
Andrew McCarthy’s hired $17,000 lens was more than a bargain for this space enthusiast.
The detailed capture of SpaceX’s rocket-catching event was nothing short of spectacular.
Through such efforts, he has been recognized for his work by top publishers like Forbes, Wired, CBS News, etc.
It will be interesting to see what McCarthy captures next with his impressive equipment and photography skills.
