# Nighttime shuttle launch Thursday: Visible from Orlando? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 7, 2006, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nighttime-shuttle-launch-thursday-visible-from-orlando/383172 "2006-12-07T04:00:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Spiff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiff/32/9852_2.png) [@Spiff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiff)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2006, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nighttime-shuttle-launch-thursday-visible-from-orlando/383172/1 "2006-12-07T04:00:26Z")
Hey, Florida Dopers. The subject (almost) says it all. I’ll be flying to Orlando tomorrow on business, and if the Space Shuttle Discovery is launched as scheduled on Thursday at 9:35 p.m., will I be able to see it from Orlando? Also, should I bring a pair of binoculars? BTW, I’ll be sure to ask at the front desk for an east-facing room, so I don’t have to climb to the roof of the hotel. TIA, **Spiff** ---
**Author:** ![Quiddity\_Glomfuster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/c4cdca/32.png) [@Quiddity\_Glomfuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quiddity_Glomfuster)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2006, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nighttime-shuttle-launch-thursday-visible-from-orlando/383172/2 "2006-12-07T04:10:45Z")
[QUOTE=Spiff] Hey, Florida Dopers. The subject (almost) says it all. I’ll be flying to Orlando tomorrow on business, and if the Space Shuttle Discovery is launched as scheduled on Thursday at 9:35 p.m., will I be able to see it from Orlando? [/QUOTE] Ohhhhhhhh. Envyyyyyyy. I was there in May when there was supposed to be a launch but it got scrubbed. Snif. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2006, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nighttime-shuttle-launch-thursday-visible-from-orlando/383172/3 "2006-12-07T04:42:50Z")
Yes it will be and it is awesome. ---
**Author:** ![MrDantastic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b487fb/32.png) [@MrDantastic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDantastic)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2006, 8:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nighttime-shuttle-launch-thursday-visible-from-orlando/383172/4 "2006-12-07T08:24:43Z")
How far away can you see it from? From Georgia, would I be able to see a speck, if anything at all? ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2006, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nighttime-shuttle-launch-thursday-visible-from-orlando/383172/5 "2006-12-07T13:31:44Z")
Daytime Shuttle launches are _clearly_ visible from Orlando, & I saw one. Nighttime? No problemo. It ain’t like it’s something you can _miss_! ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2006, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nighttime-shuttle-launch-thursday-visible-from-orlando/383172/6 "2006-12-07T15:30:56Z")
I’ve seen shuttle launches from Fort Myers. That’s on the gulf coast hours south of Orlando. Night launches are even easier to see. Binoculars make it even better. ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2006, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nighttime-shuttle-launch-thursday-visible-from-orlando/383172/7 "2006-12-07T15:33:17Z")
Just to chime in–I lived in Orlando for nearly a year back in the early '90s and saw several daytime launches and at least one nighttime launch from various parts of the city. It’s quite clearly visible day or night. I’m bummed that I never got a chance to see it close up while I was there, though. ---
**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2006, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nighttime-shuttle-launch-thursday-visible-from-orlando/383172/8 "2006-12-07T15:37:55Z")
We easily see the smoke trails from Vandenberg AF base and it’s 170 miles away. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2006, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nighttime-shuttle-launch-thursday-visible-from-orlando/383172/9 "2006-12-07T15:53:21Z")
The only time I watched a nighttime launch I could clearly see the Shuttle _in detail_ (well, at least the entire silhouette enough to know it was the Shuttle) ---
**Author:** ![Spiff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiff/32/9852_2.png) [@Spiff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiff)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2006, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nighttime-shuttle-launch-thursday-visible-from-orlando/383172/10 "2006-12-07T16:51:37Z")
Thanks for the replies, everyone. I’m stoked! (And I’m packing my binoculars.) ---
**Author:** ![opossum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/2bfe46/32.png) [@opossum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/opossum)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2006, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nighttime-shuttle-launch-thursday-visible-from-orlando/383172/11 "2006-12-07T18:32:10Z")
[QUOTE=MrDantastic] How far away can you see it from? From Georgia, would I be able to see a speck, if anything at all? [/QUOTE] I’ve seen a daytime launch from Jacksonville (it was just a speck), and the Georgia line is just 25 or 30 miles up the road. So I’d say from Waycross or Brunswick, GA you probably could – from Atlanta probably not. ---
**Author:** ![robcaro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@robcaro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robcaro)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2006, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nighttime-shuttle-launch-thursday-visible-from-orlando/383172/12 "2006-12-07T19:37:08Z")
I saw a launch from Miami quite clearly, so from Orlando it is a sure thing on a clear night. ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2006, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nighttime-shuttle-launch-thursday-visible-from-orlando/383172/13 "2006-12-07T21:24:49Z")
Nighttime launches are very visible, even from as far as TAMPA. Even Daytime launches are visible from Tampa if the sky is clear. I watched the Challenger explode from the PE field of my elementary school. It was very clear that day and the fireball and smoke was very defined even from that far away. ---
**Author:** ![DooWahDiddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9bcb4/32.png) [@DooWahDiddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DooWahDiddy)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2006, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nighttime-shuttle-launch-thursday-visible-from-orlando/383172/14 "2006-12-08T00:06:18Z")
[Uh oh.](http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/space/12/07/space.shuttle.ap/index.html) Well, if it does happen, consider me one of the incredibly jealous ones. ---
**Author:** ![Nic2004](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/4491bb/32.png) [@Nic2004](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nic2004)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2006, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nighttime-shuttle-launch-thursday-visible-from-orlando/383172/15 "2006-12-08T00:28:41Z")
We are here just SW of Daytona and waiting to see if the countdown continues. Hate to do the 40 minute drive for a scrub. Saying only 40% chance for launch tonight. If it is still a go at 8:45 or so we’ll be down the road for a front row seat. ---
**Author:** ![rbroome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/838e76/32.png) [@rbroome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rbroome)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2006, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nighttime-shuttle-launch-thursday-visible-from-orlando/383172/16 "2006-12-08T01:13:15Z")
[QUOTE=Spiff] Hey, Florida Dopers. The subject (almost) says it all. I’ll be flying to Orlando tomorrow on business, and if the Space Shuttle Discovery is launched as scheduled on Thursday at 9:35 p.m., will I be able to see it from Orlando? Also, should I bring a pair of binoculars? BTW, I’ll be sure to ask at the front desk for an east-facing room, so I don’t have to climb to the roof of the hotel. TIA, **Spiff** [/QUOTE] According to the NY Times who quotes a NASA PR person, the night launch will be visible from New York city assuming clear weather. Orlando won’t be a problem. ---
**Author:** ![Nic2004](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/4491bb/32.png) [@Nic2004](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nic2004)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2006, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nighttime-shuttle-launch-thursday-visible-from-orlando/383172/17 "2006-12-08T02:38:03Z")
Scrubbed!! ---
**Author:** ![DooWahDiddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9bcb4/32.png) [@DooWahDiddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DooWahDiddy)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2006, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nighttime-shuttle-launch-thursday-visible-from-orlando/383172/18 "2006-12-08T02:57:15Z")
Yep. Too bad, too… once I heard it was going to be visible from NYC I was _really_ looking forward to it. Maybe Saturday, they said. So did you make the drive all the way out there, **Nic2004**? It was only at 5:00 when it was scrubbed! ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2006, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nighttime-shuttle-launch-thursday-visible-from-orlando/383172/19 "2006-12-08T04:58:11Z")
Has anyone found a site that would show where and when to look to see the shuttle pass by, immediately after launch, from locations along the east coast? I looked around and couldn’t find anything. I’m in the Balto-Wash area, and I’m guessing that I should be able to see it moving from the southeast to the northeast about ten minutes after launch. Obviously, I wasn’t able to test my theory tonight, but I’d like to have more concrete info. NASA has a Java applet for satellite tracking, but it doesn’t seem to provide what I was looking for. Maybe that’s because the launch was scrubbed. But there must be something that would tell me where and when to look. Note that I’m not looking to track it after it reaches orbit, but right after launch. ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2006, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nighttime-shuttle-launch-thursday-visible-from-orlando/383172/20 "2006-12-08T05:51:11Z")
Never mind. [I found it](http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/061205_shuttle_spotting.html#Scene_1). Looks like I was roughly right about the timing, although I had forgotten that MECO (Main Engine Cut-Off) is at T+ 8 minutes, after which you probably won’t see it. The real thing I was off about is that I should have been looking south-southwest, not southeast. Also, the maximum altitude it reaches (for me) is about 7 degrees above the horizon, which means I won’t have much chance of seeing it, what with low lying haze, light pollution, etc. Oh, well. When they reschedule, I may try to find a good viewing location and give it a shot. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nighttime-shuttle-launch-thursday-visible-from-orlando/383172.md?page=2)