WEBVTT FILE

1
00:00:01.030 --> 00:00:06.190
I really love chasing sprites.

2
00:00:06.190 --> 00:00:09.670
It’s a way out of my daily routine.

3
00:00:09.670 --> 00:00:14.310
When a big sprite appears, we usually celebrating by screaming.

4
00:00:14.310 --> 00:00:17.620
Fortunately, we are away from other people.

5
00:00:17.620 --> 00:00:19.070
Ahh!

6
00:00:19.070 --> 00:00:22.050
Opa!

7
00:00:22.050 --> 00:00:26.480
It’s kind of like fishing. The thrill of fishing and catching.

8
00:00:26.480 --> 00:00:30.220
The thrill of capturing a sprite, it never gets old.

9
00:00:30.220 --> 00:00:32.300
Each one is unique and separate.

10
00:00:32.300 --> 00:00:34.040
No two are identical.

11
00:00:34.040 --> 00:00:36.800
There’s discoveries to be made here.

12
00:00:36.800 --> 00:00:38.900
I do it partly for the thrill of it.

13
00:00:38.900 --> 00:00:41.000
But then there’s also the science,

14
00:00:41.000 --> 00:00:42.710
which is important as well.

15
00:00:42.710 --> 00:00:48.490
Everybody has a piece of the puzzle and we are all putting it together.

16
00:00:48.490 --> 00:00:52.670
It wasn’t until 2010 that I was able to capture my first TLE,

17
00:00:52.670 --> 00:00:54.970
which happened to be a gigantic jet.

18
00:00:54.970 --> 00:00:57.870
I have since captured many other types of TLEs

19
00:00:57.870 --> 00:01:01.880
like sprites, elves, halos, and more gigantic jets.

20
00:01:01.880 --> 00:01:05.800
I enjoy doing this because it not only fascinates the casual viewer

21
00:01:05.800 --> 00:01:11.740
but it also helps the scientific community better understand these events.

22
00:01:11.740 --> 00:01:16.990
I work here at McDonald Obsevatory, part of the University of Texas at Austin.

23
00:01:16.990 --> 00:01:21.540
My job is to work with the surrounding communities to help preserve the night sky.

24
00:01:21.540 --> 00:01:27.790
And that has the added benefit of also helping to preserve our view of sprites and TLEs.

25
00:01:27.790 --> 00:01:31.970
TLEs are some of my favorite things to photograph in the night sky.

26
00:01:31.970 --> 00:01:34.590
They are endlessly fascinating to me.

27
00:01:34.590 --> 00:01:36.570
They never are the same twice and I always feel like

28
00:01:36.570 --> 00:01:41.840
I’m on the verge of discovering something new ever time I go out and photograph them.

29
00:01:41.840 --> 00:01:45.300
I love chasing red sprites because I just find it so fantastic

30
00:01:45.300 --> 00:01:49.660
and amazing how we can see raw nature, kind of painted across the night sky like this.

31
00:01:49.660 --> 00:01:52.830
And each one is so beautiful and so different

32
00:01:52.830 --> 00:01:57.860
that I find myself getting addicted to going out and finding what I can captured next.

33
00:01:57.860 --> 00:02:07.616