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December 09, 2006
I Did Not Expect the Entire Sky to Light Up
Posted by Frank J. at 09:08 PM | View blog reactions | Comments (28)

We're about forty miles away from the Kennedy Space Center, so we went out to the golf course behind us to watch the shuttle launch.

Wow.

I have some video which I'll YouTube (and SarahK took pictures), but I don't know how to film a bright object at night so it's going to be nothing compared to what I actually saw. I was expecting a bright dot to move through the sky like when I watched a launch from here during the day, but an entire section of sky completely lit up even before the shuttle (which looked like a giant fireball) came into view.

Anyway, I wish I wore my glasses I use for night driving and spent less time looking at the camera. I mean, this is the last ever night time shuttle launch. Well, I tivoed FOXNews so I can watch the film from those with a better view (hope you and your family enjoyed it, JFH).

UPDATE: Here's the video. I did my best to fix the color in post, but it's nothing like seeing it in person. Still, I think it's pretty amazing. It's like a night time sunrise.

That's the local talk radio station playing in the background and some neighbors cheering as the shuttle clears the tree line.

Is it just me or do I sound like Butthead from Beavis and Butthead when I make the comment about not expect the sky to light up like that? Should have fixed that in post...

Rating: 4.0/5 (1 vote cast)

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28 Responses To "I Did Not Expect the Entire Sky to Light Up"

it was absolutely incredible, and i was just watching on TV! like the sun rising at night, and then, when it was high, and the flames fluttering, like a phoenix flying through the darkness. can't imagine what it must have been like in person!

#1 - Posted by: me on December 9, 2006 09:29 PM

I wish I was back home in Melbourne to see it. I've seen night launches before and Frank isn't hyperbolizing (much, if it's a word at all), it really is that amazing.

#2 - Posted by: Patrick on December 9, 2006 11:15 PM

The jews are guilty for all our misfortunes. Are you sick/tired of
being forced to co-habitate with the negro? I sure am. Let us fight
this scourge of western civilization.It is time for the negro to be
held accountable for the devastation they have brought to white people.
We demand the immediate removal of the negro from our schools. We
cannot learn if a born half-ape is pestering us. We will see to it that
negroes and other enemies of or culture will never again, so much as
think about stepping foot on a white nation

#3 - Posted by: HITLER on December 10, 2006 12:44 AM

Frank is absolutely correct - my family and I watched the launch from the St. Johns River in St. Augustine, and the sky was just a beautiful glow. There is no real way to describe the beauty of what we witnessed, we were just in awe. The great thing is it seemed to take a different path than usual, (my imagination?) and we watched it for some 12-15 minutes before it finally disappeared.

Just beautiful.

#4 - Posted by: Amy on December 10, 2006 12:52 AM

Hey Hitler, I'm going to kick your ass, comrade!

#5 - Posted by: STALIN on December 10, 2006 01:17 AM

You aren't going to get all the glory you commie bastard! Sic' 'em Patton!

#6 - Posted by: ROOSEVELT on December 10, 2006 01:20 AM

don't make me come down there and kick all your candyasses.

#7 - Posted by: winston on December 10, 2006 01:22 AM

Awesome!

#8 - Posted by: Brian the sailor on December 10, 2006 01:23 AM

That Hitler guy isn’t so bad he just gets carried away sometimes. I told him we needed to finish Africa before he invaded Russia, but Noooo… he had to attack right away.

Nice rocket, by the way.

#9 - Posted by: Mussolini on December 10, 2006 01:38 AM

Are you still arguing with fat Winston and that cripple Roosevelt. You’ve been drinking too much coffee again Adolph. It’s late. Come to bed.

Isn’t my coffee machine great though.

#10 - Posted by: Eva Braun on December 10, 2006 01:50 AM

Could we all please get back to the original topic?

Now repeat after me: "WOW! THAT LIFT-OFF WAS AWESOME!"

#11 - Posted by: Greg on December 10, 2006 09:07 AM

WOW! THAT LIFT-OFF WAS AWESOME! Seriously, saw it launch from the Jacksonville area(up the coast), and it was very spectacular. Pretty much lit up the entire southern sky, even from up here.

#12 - Posted by: Carl K on December 10, 2006 10:21 AM

I was vacationing at Disneyland during the last night launch.

Even from as far away as Orlando, you could see it clearly. I didn't time it, but it seemed like 5 minutes it was visible.

it gave me chills.

#13 - Posted by: moflicky on December 10, 2006 10:36 AM

Thanks for the video. I've often wondered what a shuttle launch looks like from outside of Cape Canaveral. I'm used to seeing the NASA/pool video, and this gives an interesting perspective of the spectacle.

#14 - Posted by: will on December 10, 2006 10:42 AM

moflicky, here in Orlando we can actually see the day launches pretty clearly. During the day, the shuttle looks like a giant ball of fire.

Last night was the first time I've seen a night launch (from Orlando) and I would say that it initially looks more like a nuke going off in the distance... then, of course, the fireball shows up.

Also, the booster seperation was incredible. You could actually see the individual boosters fall away with the naked eye.

#15 - Posted by: DaveS on December 10, 2006 11:08 AM

Great job Frank! That was very cool footage. Thanks for taking the time to record it for the rest of us who couldn't be down there to watch in person. (well, there is news coverage, but this is more fun.*grin*)

#16 - Posted by: Teresa on December 10, 2006 11:56 AM

Rising into the Sky.....

On a Pillar of Fire.....


To touch the face of God.

When we see this, remember those that have fallen in this program.

#17 - Posted by: Lonevoice on December 10, 2006 12:52 PM

Thanks for the great video --- it really was AWESOME! We never see cool stuff like that in Minnesota.

#18 - Posted by: Greg on December 10, 2006 02:02 PM

Way cool. How far north would the launch have been visible last night?

#19 - Posted by: just sayin on December 10, 2006 02:27 PM

I heard that it would be visible all the way up the coast, so take that for what its worth, but the local news here did report that a former colleague called from Virginia to say that he saw it.

#20 - Posted by: DaveS on December 10, 2006 03:15 PM

It's pretty cool... the shuttle pilot is from here in Anchorage, AK.

#21 - Posted by: AkRonin on December 10, 2006 06:06 PM

Excellent video, Frank. One of the only perks I can see to living in Florida. Now, what I would really like to see is a reverse of that video happening over Mecca, followed by an earth-shattering kaaba-boom. Alalalalalalalaaaaa!

#22 - Posted by: Tommy the Towelhead on December 10, 2006 07:10 PM

Yah, It look like V2 on its way to London!

Your velcome

#23 - Posted by: Werner von B on December 10, 2006 08:34 PM

I checked from my deck in the DC area a minute or so after launch and saw something that MIGHT have been it. We can see planes in both the Dulles and National holding patterns, but this had an unusual color and appearance for a plane and it was in more or less the right place.

A "secret" mission a few years back was launched South to North up the coast on a clear night. That was pretty amazing even this far north.

"In both German and English I can count down,
And I'm learning Chinese, says Werner von Braun"

-Tom Lehrer

#24 - Posted by: just sayin' on December 10, 2006 09:47 PM

That launch was totally Hitler!

#25 - Posted by: spacemonkey on December 10, 2006 09:55 PM

We were at EPCOT last night waiting for the firework show. Suddenly, I heard several people shout (yes, they were shouting. I believe they were very excited by what they were seeing) "It's the Space Shuttle! It's the Space Shuttle!" After people got their bearings and realized what they were seeing, everyone started to clap. It was all very cool. I got some pictures, but I haven't downloaded them yet. If they are any good, maybe I'll send them along.

#26 - Posted by: franklinstein on December 10, 2006 10:48 PM

If ya'll ever get the chance to see a night launch again, short of getting to one of the NASA sites, try the Indian River in Titusville. The most spectacular night launch I've ever seen was from there. The whole place lights up, bright as day, and then as the shuttle rises, the reflection comes across the water towards you. As long as there aren't any clouds, it just dims out. Otherwise you get some neat effects.

I got to this launch from Tampa and it had quite a streak behind it. A lot more than I expected. My wife (this was her first launch "live") was very excited.

#27 - Posted by: Andrew C on December 11, 2006 06:47 AM

I was fortunate to live in Titusville in the late 60s and saw many of the Saturn launches. Our space program, with all its troubles is an amazing achievement. I suggest for the next launch we strap Hitler at the very bottom of the pad so he gets an idea what hell will be like when he dies and goes there. Go Jooooos! Go Negroessss! And I thought it was a white christmas, not a white nation?

#28 - Posted by: captamerica on December 11, 2006 07:36 AM
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