Hi All: Joe Rao called to my attention next Monday's launch of a Minotaur rocket and Tacsat-2 from Wallops Island, Virginia just before sunrise. The viewing conditions for the are not optimum, but chances are observers may see an interesting display as sunlight shines through the rocket's exhaust plume. The further west you are, the darker the sky will be and the more the plume will stand out. The plume will look like a glowing orb for observers behind the vehicle or a wedge-shaped for observers to the side of the flight path. A couple of things to look out for: - If the vehicle has a fourth stage, wait around for fourth stage iginition (it may make for an artifical comet). - The launch aftermath will probably form an interesting, twisted cloud Regards, Brian Webb ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe/Unsubscribe info, Frequently Asked Questions, SeeSat-L archive: http://www.satobs.org/seesat/seesatindex.html
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