Astro-image of the Day: wee-hours Shuttle launch

[mckitterick]

I really want to watch a Shuttle launch some time soon. Especially a night-time launch like today's shot from the wee hours of the morning:

Click the image to see the story and really large images to save to your desktop.

Best,
Chris

Comments

[will-couvillier.livejournal.com]

I think this X-Prize thing has really heated up the space race. Over the weekend I saw an actual television ad for NASA -- I've NEVER seen that before now!

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

Wow - what was NASA advertising?

[queenoftheskies.livejournal.com]

That's beautiful!

I have never been fortunate enough to watch a shuttle launch, but I did get to see an Apollo launch when I was much younger.

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

Cool!

[will-couvillier.livejournal.com]

For everything -- careers for scientists, engineers, astronauts. At first I thought it was like, an Army thing -- until the NASA logo popped up at the end!

The new X-Prize -- back to the moon -- already has ten companies on for it, two (maybe more) foreign. Private industry is what's gonna get us out there. It's the ultimate thrill-seek.

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

Cool.

I am really excited about the new X-Prizes.

[fortyozspartan.livejournal.com]

I hear the light from the solid rockets is blinding.

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

I can imagine - especially at night. But I still wanna see it! I'll bring a welding glass.

[fortyozspartan.livejournal.com]

I believe it because when I was in college, I used to do Carbon and Oxygen composition analysis on dark shales. The method was basically, burn the f%#k out of the rock so the carbon/oxygen turns to gas and then you can measure that. It was heated a few thousand degrees F and when it popped out of the chamber I could barely look at it. I actually dropped one in the trash one time and some aluminum foil in there burst into flames on contact. It was ridiculous.