Blast off! Rocket launch in Virginia will be visible in New Jersey Monday evening
A rocket launch will dazzle sky-gazers throughout the region Monday evening.
The Antares rocket is slated to blast off at 6:45 p.m. at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility near Chincoteague Island, Virginia.
The rocket will carry Orbital Sciences Corporation’s Cygnus cargo spacecraft, loaded with approximately 5,000 pounds of supplies and experiments, to the International Space Station, according to a NASA release.
With mostly clear skies, the launch will be visible in New Jersey, according to a NOAA map.
At the Jersey Shore, the rocket’s flames and smoke will become visible to the south/southeast at 15 degrees (southern beaches) and 10 degrees (northern beaches) above the horizon about three minutes after the launch. Consider finding a dark location.
Space.com has an excellent breakdown of what you will see as the rocket ascends.
Live coverage of the mission is scheduled to begin at noon Monday here.
Be sure to monitor Wallops Flight Facility on Facebook for up-to-the-minute launch information.
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