Seaside Vacations

The Outer Banks offers some amazing sights, but the Space Shuttle?! 

It’s true, the OBX offers low light pollution and an ideal coastal location to witness nighttime space shuttle launches.  As the shuttle ascends towards space, it travels up the East Coast creating the opportunity to see the flame from the booster rockets about 6 – 9 minutes after launch.  Look east about 140 degree up from the horizon and the shuttle’s burn should be visible moving rapidly south to north.

The next nighttime launch is scheduled for 3/12 at 9:20, but be sure to check the launch time as it nears because delays are not unusual.    

From www.space.com, here are the details of the proposed launch time.

Discovery is now officially poised to lift off for its STS-119 mission from a seaside launch pad at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., on Wednesday at 9:20 p.m. EDT (0120 March 12 GMT). Commander Lee Archambault will lead a crew of seven astronauts on a two-week construction flight to the International Space Station to deliver a new set of solar array wings.

Here’s another online tool to prepare for what the night sky offers:  http://spaceweather.com/flybys/

Thanks to OBX Journal for sharing this great OBX opportunity.