Here comes the sun, a roaring rocket and a blazing Photo of the Week

Let's cut to the chase: Here on the Third Rock from the Sun, or anywhere out there in the galaxies, this Photo of the Week rises to the occasion.

Visual journalist Craig Bailey captured the sizzlin' shot, taken Aug. 30, as a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket carrying the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope left Kennedy Space Center and soon powered past the front of the sun.

How on, yes, Earth did he manage to land this one?

Technology has "made it much easier for photographers to make this photo," said Bailey.

Consequently, at daybreak, "I was standing in a parking lot ... surrounded by 20-25 others trying to make the same photo, he said.

"I didn't take advantage of the last time this happened, so I was determined to make this one," Bailey said. "Mornings help increase the possibility of a sun or moon transit photo. Their proximity to the horizon makes it easier to line up. Also, the atmosphere tends to make both bodies appear larger to the eye."

However, weather is always a factor. Thunderstorms offshore not only threatened the launch, but the cloud cover threatened to hide one of the major players in the image.

"But clouds can be your friend, too," Bailey said. "They can cut down the amount of light coming through, lessening the need of extra filtration ... The only question that remained was would the sun be high enough to clear the cloud cover on the horizon."

His patience and skill paid off: The sun cleared the clouds with roughly 10 to 15 minutes to spare before the launch and "the rest is history," he said.

A tip from the guy who knows his stuff: "While I'm on the subject, it is important that you do not stare at the sun through any camera lens without protection!" Bailey emphasized.

"You can burn holes in the sensor on your digital camera and damage your eyesight in the process. Most of us were using telescopes or cameras with various types of sun filter."

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Here comes the sun, a roaring rocket and a blazing Photo of the Week