How far away is a launch visible?

[crow_t_robot]

Hello, all. I'm going to be in FL (Port Charlotte) during the early part of the launch window for the upcoming launch. Unfortunately, I cannot convince my wife to make the 3.5 hour trip to the Cape (are anywhere near) to watch the launch, should it occur while we are there.<br /><br />So, will anything be visible from SW FL? How about from Miami-metro (we have family there and we can re-work the day we'll visit)? If not, does anyone have any recommendations on how far I'd need to go to see something? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[najab]

To the North, Shuttles launching to ISS are sometimes visible as far as New England, to the South you're out of luck anything more than 20 miles out or so.

 

[crow_t_robot]

Ouch...that's what I was afraid of. I suppose a road trip will be needed. Thanks for the info...

 

[lunatio_gordin]

So i'm not crazy to think i saw the shuttle from NC.

 

[bpcooper]

That's incorrect. You will be able to see it launching from where you are as long as it's not cloudy. The smoke trail is visible as far as Georgia and parts of South Carolina if it's a clear day, and down to the Southern Peninsula as well. Remember, the trail is 30 miles high by the time the booster separate.<br /><br />The New England sightings (up the East Coast) only apply to night launches to the ISS, where the Shuttle flies parallel to the coast on its way to orbit. You can see its main engines and even watch them shut down (as I have many times from NYC).<br /><br />Night launches are much more visible because of the tremendous light, but day launches are no exception barring thick haze or cloud cover.<br /><br />Here is a photo (though small) taken by the St Petersberg Times in Tampa Bay:<br /><br />http://www.sptimes.com/News/101200/photos/tb-shuttle.jpg<br /><br />Just be sure to look in the right direction at the right time! <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>-Ben</p> </div>

 

[crow_t_robot]

Well, Tampa is a possibility...I think I can talk my wife into that trip...or maybe even Orlando. Thanks again...hopefully the launch will occur while we are there.

 

[najab]

I stand corrected. I thought that the ISS trajectory took the vehicle too far North for it to be visible more than a few miles South of Orlando.

 

[najab]

><i>So i'm not crazy to think i saw the shuttle from NC.</i><p>If it was a night launch, no. You would have to have <b>VERY</b> good eyes to see it that far north during the day.</p>

 

[bpcooper]

I wouldn't really make the drive to Tampa just to get a glimpse of the smoke trail in the distance...but that's up to you <br /><br />North Carolina would be stretching it for daytime. <br /><br />Here is an image of STS-98 (sunset, higher contrast) from Savannah, GA:<br /><br />http://www.savannah-weather.com/skycam/sts98.htm<br /><br />As you can see, the smoke trail from the Shuttle is LONG! <br /><br />A simple calcuation of distance to horizon vs. the height of the object (you can find these online) would show that a trail stretching to 35 miles high will be visible up to 502 miles away. However, that would be putting the last foot of smoke right on the horizon, so you can't use that. But up to 300 miles away is a good number to get a good view of the trail. <br /><br />The ISS trajectory is to the north, but the first two minutes of the flight the Shuttle is going up more than out (at about the 1 min 50 seconds into the flight is where it crosses that threshold; where it reaches about 25x25 up and downrange, and the downrange begins to increase.<br /><br />On the Titan 4 launch April 29th, which headed to a 57 degree trajectory north, even more than the ISS flights, people in Miami (215 miles to the south) called the police when they saw this huge fireball in the distance going up. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>-Ben</p> </div>

 

[lunatio_gordin]

I'm on the southern border. <br />how far away can you hear the shuttle?

 

[bpcooper]

Well sound depends on the weather...wind especially. You can be in Titusville, 11 miles away, and the sound can shake your bones or barely be audible depending on wind direction. The same for any rocket; I've seen a couple of Titan 4s from a distance of ten miles. One was awesome and the other was only a thunder-like rumble...enough to feel and set off car alarms, but not enough to hear much.<br /><br />The limit for hearing the rumble is about 50 miles even in good weather. I can't speak from experience, but I know they hear even the Delta 2's in Melbourne. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>-Ben</p> </div>

 

[shuttle_rtf]

My favourite video of all time is the one you showed me from the press area. Couldn't get over that thunderous crack as Discovery started to punch through the low cloud, setting off car alarms etc.etc.<br /><br />I make a point of turning the speakers up and terrorising friends ever since <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" />

 

[lunatio_gordin]

I guess i was just caught by a series of coincidences. The day Columbia went up, i had planned on watching the launch on NASA TV. I must've heard a jet taking off, which reminded me of the shuttle... I didn't get home in time to see the launch, so i guess i just assumed they were all related.

 

[jwsmith]

Crow_T_Robot writes: >> Well, Tampa is a possibility...I think I can talk my wife into that trip...or maybe even Orlando. Thanks again...hopefully the launch will occur while we are there. <<<br /><br />I have watched the shuttle launch from atop of a one story building in Tampa. It was a night launch so no surprize. I live in Leesburg, about 50 miles north west of Orlando and regularly watch the launches from my back door. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font size="2">John Wayne Smith, CEO</font></p><p><font size="2">1000 Planets, Inc</font></p><p><font size="2">Http://www.1000Planets.com</font></p><p><font size="2">203 W.Magnolia St.</font></p><p><font size="2">Leesbutg Florida 34748</font></p><p><font size="2">Ph: 352 787 5550</font></p><p><font size="2">email jwsmith42000@aol.com</font></p> </div>