December 11, 2006: Great shuttle takeoff photos

glatt · 12-11-2006, 01:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kitsune

This is what the launch looked like all the way from the Tampa side of the state:

Missed the first couple seconds of it thanks to a camera screw-up.

Very nice Kitsune. How far away were you? too lazy to pull up a map.

Kitsune · 12-11-2006, 01:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by glatt

Very nice Kitsune. How far away were you? too lazy to pull up a map.

Probably about 85 miles or so from the cape.

glatt · 12-11-2006, 01:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kitsune

Probably about 85 miles or so from the cape.

That's impressive that the event is still so visible from that far away.

Elspode · 12-11-2006, 01:51 PM

Do you hear the roar seven minutes after the launch?

xoxoxoBruce · 12-11-2006, 03:18 PM

Here is an very good explanation from MSNBC, about why night launches are necessary.

MaggieL · 12-12-2006, 08:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by glatt

That's impressive that the event is still so visible from that far away.

The event was visible from Pennsylvania, if you knew where and when to look. Gwen and I got in the Maggiemobile around the right time, and drove to a location a mile or two away that I knew would give us a view of the horizon on a heading of 130°, the azimuth for the predicted max elevation. While what we saw wasn't as spectacular as at the Cape, it clearly was Discovery on ascent.

glatt · 12-12-2006, 08:25 AM

That's impressive too, Maggie. Sure, I've seen the Shuttle go overhead in orbit while docked at the station. But I've never seen a shuttle launch. Maybe I'll have to look for one in the future. If you can see it from Philly, I can see it from D.C. Maybe Mason Neck would offer a good view.

BigV · 12-12-2006, 08:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MaggieL

The event was visible from Pennsylvania, if you knew where and when to look. Gwen and I got in the Maggiemobile around the right time, and drove to a location a mile or two away that I knew would give us a view of the horizon on a heading of 130°, the azimuth for the predicted max elevation. While what we saw wasn't as spectacular as at the Cape, it clearly was Discovery on ascent.

Lucky for you the terrain in your area is so flat.

MaggieL · 12-13-2006, 01:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigV

Lucky for you the terrain in your area is so flat.

Well, we don't think of it as such. The location I chose was atop a local ridge, about 100ft higher in elevation than my house.

But I flew the Cardinal to Pittsburgh the other day and was reminded of how un-flat much of the rest of Pennsylvania is compared to Western Montgomery County. Especially around, say, Altoona.

On the other hand, Gwennie, who mostly grew up in Chicagoland, finds this area rather bumpy.

12-11-2006, 01:51 PM	#4
Elspode When Do I Get Virtual Unreality? Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Raytown, Missouri Posts: 12,719	Do you hear the roar seven minutes after the launch? __________________ "To those of you who are wearing ties, I think my dad would appreciate it if you took them off." - Robert Moog

12-11-2006, 03:18 PM	#5
xoxoxoBruce The future is unwritten Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 71,105	Here is an very good explanation from MSNBC, about why night launches are necessary. __________________ The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump.

12-12-2006, 08:25 AM	#7
glatt ™ Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Arlington, VA Posts: 27,717	That's impressive too, Maggie. Sure, I've seen the Shuttle go overhead in orbit while docked at the station. But I've never seen a shuttle launch. Maybe I'll have to look for one in the future. If you can see it from Philly, I can see it from D.C. Maybe Mason Neck would offer a good view.

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