Look outside at 7:24 tonight *

Susan Kitchens alerts her blog readers that Vandenberg Air Force Base will launch the last of the Titan solid fuel rockets just after sunset this evening. [* She has changed her site to say it's a MInotaur rocket going up tonight. The Titan launches Oct. 19. 1 p.m.] When they fire them off at twilight like this, the sky show for us in L.A. can be spectacular. We're close enough to see the engine glow and smoke trail as the rocket soars down range above the Pacific. Then each separation of the stages bursts into a colorful light array as the particles reflect the sun's rays. If the evening is clear, we're in for a visual treat. Here's the area from which a previous launch was viewable:


Launch map

Viewing Vandenberg
Vandenberg launch page
Spaceflight Now


More by Kevin Roderick:
Standing up to Harvey Weinstein
The Media
LA Times gets a top editor with nothing but questions
LA Observed Notes: Harvey Weinstein stripped bare
LA Observed Notes: Photos of the homeless, photos that found homes
Recent stories on LA Observed:
Standing up to Harvey Weinstein
The Media
LA Times gets a top editor with nothing but questions
LA Observed Notes: Harvey Weinstein stripped bare
David Ryu and candidate Mike Fong
LA Observed Notes: Photos of the homeless, photos that found homes
Volleying with Rosie Casals
Lloyd Hamrol


 

LA Observed on Twitter