On 24 September 2025, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from NASA's Kennedy Space Center, carrying with it a suite of instruments designed to analyse our Sun and its influence across the Solar System.
The Sun being the centre of the Falcon 9's mission, it's somewhat fitting that Jay Castro, an amateur astrophotographer based in Florida, captured the SpaceX launch vehicle as a silhouette ascending in front of our host star.
"This is an original, high-resolution image capturing a rare visual alignment: the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, carrying NASA's Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP) and two space weather satellites, transiting the rising Sun just moments after liftoff," Jay says.
"The rocket took off from Kennedy Space Center's Launch Complex 39A on September 24, 2025.
"Shot from Titusville, Florida at 7:30 AM EDT, this silhouette evokes a modern eclipse, highlighting the dawn of heliosphere exploration."
Jay is originally from Brazil, but now lives in Florida, USA, just 90 minutes' drive from Kennedy Space Center.
"My journey into space photography began unexpectedly," he says.
More amazing photography
"One day I was filming a timelapse of clouds in my backyard, and to my surprise, a rocket launch appeared in the footage. I hadn’t realised launches could be seen from nearly 100 miles away.
"That discovery sparked a passion, and soon I found myself driving closer to the launch sites to capture better images and hone my craft.
"I realised that to truly improve, I needed official media credentials with NASA and SpaceX.
"Once credentialed, I started learning from seasoned NASA photographers, who generously shared tips and guidance during our assignments."
How he did it
"Capturing a solar or lunar transit of a rocket is especially challenging, with so many variables at play: weather, timing, and potential launch delays," Jay says.
"To plan this shot, we relied on FlightClub.io, which predicted the exact location of the transit near Titusville, Florida.
"The challenge was that on the day before launch, I also had to set up my remote cameras at Kennedy Space Center, which needed to be left overnight and retrieved the following morning before the NASA gates closed.
"Since I couldn’t be in both places at once, my wife went to NASA to manage the remote cameras, while I headed to Titusville for the transit.
"When I arrived, I knew I was in the right spot, because legendary photographers like John Kraus and Steven Meadow were there as well.
"I set up my Sony A7 IV with a 600mm lens and ND 1,000,000 solar filter.
"Instead of stills, I chose to record video so I could capture not just the rocket itself, but the plume effect across the Sun.
"Then came the countdown – 3, 2, 1 – and suddenly the rocket pierced straight across the solar disk.
"The rush of that moment was unforgettable. Later, when reviewing the footage with a friend, I realised we had captured something truly special."
If you've captured an amazing image, send us your images and they could appear in a future issue of BBC Sky at Night Magazine
