Launches · Minotaur V · Wallops Island, Virginia
LADEE: who could see the launch
Orbital Sciences Corporation's Minotaur V launched LADEE from Wallops Island, Virginia at 11:27 PM EDT on Friday, September 6, 2013.
It flew east, out over the Atlantic, toward a high orbit.
It was dark by then, so the flame showed as a bright, moving light.
Best views: New York, Philadelphia, Washington and 18 more.
Low on the horizon from Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa and 35 more.
Can I see it from my city? 153 cities within 1,500 km
| City | Distance | Look toward | Highest | When | View | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia Beach, Virginia | 117 km (73 mi) | north, moving east | 26° | 11:28–11:35 PM EDT | Good view | 117 km (73 mi) · look north, moving east · up to 26° · 11:28–11:35 PM EDT |
| Newport News, Virginia | 120 km (75 mi) | northeast, moving east | 23° | 11:28–11:35 PM EDT | Good view | 120 km (75 mi) · look northeast, moving east · up to 23° · 11:28–11:35 PM EDT |
| Norfolk, Virginia | 130 km (81 mi) | northeast, moving east | 23° | 11:28–11:35 PM EDT | Good view | 130 km (81 mi) · look northeast, moving east · up to 23° · 11:28–11:35 PM EDT |
| Richmond, Virginia | 176 km (109 mi) | east | 17° | 11:28–11:34 PM EDT | Good view | 176 km (109 mi) · look east · up to 17° · 11:28–11:34 PM EDT |
| Washington, District of Columbia | 181 km (112 mi) | southeast, moving east | 18° | 11:28–11:35 PM EDT | Good view | 181 km (112 mi) · look southeast, moving east · up to 18° · 11:28–11:35 PM EDT |
| Baltimore, Maryland | 189 km (117 mi) | southeast, moving east | 19° | 11:28–11:35 PM EDT | Good view | 189 km (117 mi) · look southeast, moving east · up to 19° · 11:28–11:35 PM EDT |
| Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | 237 km (147 mi) | south, moving east | 22° | 11:28–11:35 PM EDT | Good view | 237 km (147 mi) · look south, moving east · up to 22° · 11:28–11:35 PM EDT |
| Allentown, Pennsylvania | 309 km (192 mi) | south, moving east | 17° | 11:28–11:35 PM EDT | Good view | 309 km (192 mi) · look south, moving east · up to 17° · 11:28–11:35 PM EDT |
| Edison, New Jersey | 313 km (194 mi) | south, moving east | 21° | 11:28–11:35 PM EDT | Good view | 313 km (194 mi) · look south, moving east · up to 21° · 11:28–11:35 PM EDT |
| New York | 345 km (214 mi) | south, moving east | 20° | 11:29–11:35 PM EDT | Good view | 345 km (214 mi) · look south, moving east · up to 20° · 11:29–11:35 PM EDT |
| Paterson, New Jersey | 361 km (224 mi) | south, moving east | 19° | 11:29–11:35 PM EDT | Good view | 361 km (224 mi) · look south, moving east · up to 19° · 11:29–11:35 PM EDT |
| Raleigh, North Carolina | 362 km (225 mi) | northeast | 11° | 11:29–11:34 PM EDT | Low on the horizon | 362 km (225 mi) · look northeast · up to 11° · 11:29–11:34 PM EDT |
| Durham, North Carolina | 365 km (227 mi) | northeast | 11° | 11:29–11:34 PM EDT | Low on the horizon | 365 km (227 mi) · look northeast · up to 11° · 11:29–11:34 PM EDT |
| Yonkers, New York | 371 km (231 mi) | south, moving east | 19° | 11:29–11:35 PM EDT | Good view | 371 km (231 mi) · look south, moving east · up to 19° · 11:29–11:35 PM EDT |
| Stamford, Connecticut | 396 km (246 mi) | south, moving east | 19° | 11:29–11:35 PM EDT | Good view | 396 km (246 mi) · look south, moving east · up to 19° · 11:29–11:35 PM EDT |
| Bridgeport, Connecticut | 421 km (262 mi) | southwest, moving east | 19° | 11:29–11:35 PM EDT | Good view | 421 km (262 mi) · look southwest, moving east · up to 19° · 11:29–11:35 PM EDT |
| Greensboro, North Carolina | 429 km (267 mi) | northeast | 9° | 11:29–11:34 PM EDT | Low on the horizon | 429 km (267 mi) · look northeast · up to 9° · 11:29–11:34 PM EDT |
| Fayetteville, North Carolina | 433 km (269 mi) | northeast | 9° | 11:29–11:34 PM EDT | Low on the horizon | 433 km (269 mi) · look northeast · up to 9° · 11:29–11:34 PM EDT |
| New Haven, Connecticut | 445 km (277 mi) | southwest, moving east | 19° | 11:29–11:35 PM EDT | Good view | 445 km (277 mi) · look southwest, moving east · up to 19° · 11:29–11:35 PM EDT |
| High Point, North Carolina | 452 km (281 mi) | northeast | 8° | 11:29–11:34 PM EDT | Low on the horizon | 452 km (281 mi) · look northeast · up to 8° · 11:29–11:34 PM EDT |
| Wilmington, North Carolina | 458 km (285 mi) | northeast, moving east | 10° | 11:29–11:34 PM EDT | Low on the horizon | 458 km (285 mi) · look northeast, moving east · up to 10° · 11:29–11:34 PM EDT |
| Winston-Salem, North Carolina | 464 km (288 mi) | northeast | 8° | 11:29–11:33 PM EDT | Low on the horizon | 464 km (288 mi) · look northeast · up to 8° · 11:29–11:33 PM EDT |
| Waterbury, Connecticut | 464 km (288 mi) | southwest, moving east | 17° | 11:29–11:35 PM EDT | Good view | 464 km (288 mi) · look southwest, moving east · up to 17° · 11:29–11:35 PM EDT |
| Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | 485 km (301 mi) | southeast | 8° | 11:29–11:34 PM EDT | Low on the horizon | 485 km (301 mi) · look southeast · up to 8° · 11:29–11:34 PM EDT |
| Hartford, Connecticut | 499 km (310 mi) | southwest, moving east | 17° | 11:29–11:35 PM EDT | Good view | 499 km (310 mi) · look southwest, moving east · up to 17° · 11:29–11:35 PM EDT |
| Springfield, Massachusetts | 535 km (332 mi) | southwest, moving southeast | 16° | 11:29–11:35 PM EDT | Good view | 535 km (332 mi) · look southwest, moving southeast · up to 16° · 11:29–11:35 PM EDT |
| Charlotte, North Carolina | 558 km (347 mi) | northeast | 6° | 11:29–11:33 PM EDT | Low on the horizon | 558 km (347 mi) · look northeast · up to 6° · 11:29–11:33 PM EDT |
| Providence, Rhode Island | 564 km (350 mi) | southwest, moving southeast | 18° | 11:29–11:36 PM EDT | Good view | 564 km (350 mi) · look southwest, moving southeast · up to 18° · 11:29–11:36 PM EDT |
| Syracuse, New York | 583 km (362 mi) | south, moving southeast | 9° | 11:29–11:34 PM EDT | Low on the horizon | 583 km (362 mi) · look south, moving southeast · up to 9° · 11:29–11:34 PM EDT |
| Worcester, Massachusetts | 584 km (363 mi) | southwest, moving southeast | 16° | 11:29–11:36 PM EDT | Good view | 584 km (363 mi) · look southwest, moving southeast · up to 16° · 11:29–11:36 PM EDT |
| Rochester, New York | 619 km (385 mi) | southeast | 8° | 11:29–11:34 PM EDT | Low on the horizon | 619 km (385 mi) · look southeast · up to 8° · 11:29–11:34 PM EDT |
| Boston, Massachusetts | 629 km (391 mi) | southwest, moving southeast | 16° | 11:29–11:36 PM EDT | Good view | 629 km (391 mi) · look southwest, moving southeast · up to 16° · 11:29–11:36 PM EDT |
| Buffalo, New York | 631 km (392 mi) | southeast | 7° | 11:29–11:34 PM EDT | Low on the horizon | 631 km (392 mi) · look southeast · up to 7° · 11:29–11:34 PM EDT |
| Akron, Ohio | 631 km (392 mi) | southeast | 6° | 11:29–11:33 PM EDT | Low on the horizon | 631 km (392 mi) · look southeast · up to 6° · 11:29–11:33 PM EDT |
| Lowell, Massachusetts | 641 km (398 mi) | southwest, moving southeast | 14° | 11:29–11:36 PM EDT | Low on the horizon | 641 km (398 mi) · look southwest, moving southeast · up to 14° · 11:29–11:36 PM EDT |
| Columbia, South Carolina | 656 km (408 mi) | northeast | 5° | 11:30–11:33 PM EDT | Low on the horizon | 656 km (408 mi) · look northeast · up to 5° · 11:30–11:33 PM EDT |
| Manchester, New Hampshire | 668 km (415 mi) | southwest, moving southeast | 13° | 11:29–11:36 PM EDT | Low on the horizon | 668 km (415 mi) · look southwest, moving southeast · up to 13° · 11:29–11:36 PM EDT |
| Cleveland, Ohio | 669 km (416 mi) | southeast | 5° | 11:30–11:33 PM EDT | Low on the horizon | 669 km (416 mi) · look southeast · up to 5° · 11:30–11:33 PM EDT |
| Columbus, Ohio | 691 km (429 mi) | east | 4° | 11:30–11:32 PM EDT | Low on the horizon | 691 km (429 mi) · look east · up to 4° · 11:30–11:32 PM EDT |
| Charleston, South Carolina | 691 km (429 mi) | northeast | 5° | 11:30–11:33 PM EDT | Low on the horizon | 691 km (429 mi) · look northeast · up to 5° · 11:30–11:33 PM EDT |
| Hamilton, Ontario, CA | 706 km (439 mi) | southeast | 5° | 11:30–11:33 PM EDT | Low on the horizon | 706 km (439 mi) · look southeast · up to 5° · 11:30–11:33 PM EDT |
| Toronto, Ontario, CA | 725 km (450 mi) | southeast | 5° | 11:30–11:33 PM EDT | Low on the horizon | 725 km (450 mi) · look southeast · up to 5° · 11:30–11:33 PM EDT |
| Mississauga, Ontario, CA | 729 km (453 mi) | southeast | 5° | 11:30–11:33 PM EDT | Low on the horizon | 729 km (453 mi) · look southeast · up to 5° · 11:30–11:33 PM EDT |
| Oshawa, Ontario, CA | 731 km (454 mi) | southeast | 5° | 11:30–11:33 PM EDT | Low on the horizon | 731 km (454 mi) · look southeast · up to 5° · 11:30–11:33 PM EDT |
| Markham, Ontario, CA | 742 km (461 mi) | southeast | 5° | 11:30–11:33 PM EDT | Low on the horizon | 742 km (461 mi) · look southeast · up to 5° · 11:30–11:33 PM EDT |
| London, Ontario, CA | 751 km (467 mi) | southeast | 4° | 11:30–11:33 PM EDT | Low on the horizon | 751 km (467 mi) · look southeast · up to 4° · 11:30–11:33 PM EDT |
| Kitchener, Ontario, CA | 752 km (467 mi) | southeast | 5° | 11:30–11:33 PM EDT | Low on the horizon | 752 km (467 mi) · look southeast · up to 5° · 11:30–11:33 PM EDT |
| Knoxville, Tennessee | 778 km (483 mi) | east | 3° | 11:31 PM EDT | Low on the horizon | 778 km (483 mi) · look east · up to 3° · 11:31 PM EDT |
| Dayton, Ohio | 784 km (487 mi) | east | 3° | 11:31 PM EDT | Low on the horizon | 784 km (487 mi) · look east · up to 3° · 11:31 PM EDT |
| Toledo, Ohio | 810 km (503 mi) | east | 3° | 11:31 PM EDT | Low on the horizon | 810 km (503 mi) · look east · up to 3° · 11:31 PM EDT |
| Windsor, Ontario, CA | 810 km (503 mi) | southeast | 3° | 11:31 PM EDT | Low on the horizon | 810 km (503 mi) · look southeast · up to 3° · 11:31 PM EDT |
| Barrie, Ontario, CA | 810 km (503 mi) | southeast | 4° | 11:30–11:33 PM EDT | Low on the horizon | 810 km (503 mi) · look southeast · up to 4° · 11:30–11:33 PM EDT |
| Detroit, Michigan | 814 km (506 mi) | southeast | 3° | 11:31 PM EDT | Low on the horizon | 814 km (506 mi) · look southeast · up to 3° · 11:31 PM EDT |
| Savannah, Georgia | 818 km (508 mi) | northeast | 3° | 11:30–11:32 PM EDT | Low on the horizon | 818 km (508 mi) · look northeast · up to 3° · 11:30–11:32 PM EDT |
| Sterling Heights, Michigan | 829 km (515 mi) | southeast | 3° | 11:31 PM EDT | Low on the horizon | 829 km (515 mi) · look southeast · up to 3° · 11:31 PM EDT |
| Ottawa, Ontario, CA | 844 km (524 mi) | south, moving southeast | 6° | 11:30–11:34 PM EDT | Low on the horizon | 844 km (524 mi) · look south, moving southeast · up to 6° · 11:30–11:34 PM EDT |
| Montreal, Quebec, CA | 867 km (539 mi) | south, moving southeast | 6° | 11:30–11:35 PM EDT | Low on the horizon | 867 km (539 mi) · look south, moving southeast · up to 6° · 11:30–11:35 PM EDT |
| Québec, Quebec, CA | 1,058 km (657 mi) | south, moving southeast | 5° | 11:31–11:35 PM EDT | Low on the horizon | 1,058 km (657 mi) · look south, moving southeast · up to 5° · 11:31–11:35 PM EDT |
| Halifax, Nova Scotia, CA | 1,250 km (777 mi) | southwest, moving southeast | 10° | 12:31–12:36 AM ADT | Low on the horizon | 1,250 km (777 mi) · look southwest, moving southeast · up to 10° · 12:31–12:36 AM ADT |
94 cities where it stays below the horizon
Lexington, Cincinnati, Athens, Ann Arbor, Louisville, Fort Wayne, Atlanta, Chattanooga, Lansing, Indianapolis, Murfreesboro, Ponte Vedra Beach, Jacksonville, South Bend, Nashville, Grand Rapids, Lakeside, Columbus, Huntsville, Evansville, Palm Coast, Clarksville, Greater Sudbury, Daytona Beach, New Smyrna Beach, Gainesville, Birmingham, Chicago, Deltona, Titusville, Ocala, Oviedo, Tallahassee, Joliet, Montgomery, The Villages, Cocoa Beach, Orlando, Winter Garden, Aurora, Melbourne, Elgin, Kissimmee, Milwaukee, Four Corners, Sebastian, Vero Beach, Spring Hill, Winter Haven, Wesley Chapel, Lakeland, Springfield, Bayonet Point, Peoria, Port Saint Lucie, Rockford, Panama City, Valrico, Tarpon Springs, Tampa, Green Bay, Crestview, St. Louis, Jupiter, Clearwater, St. Petersburg, The Acreage, West Palm Beach, Madison, Fort Walton Beach, Navarre, Memphis, Sarasota, Boca Raton, Davenport, Pensacola, North Port, Venice, Coral Springs, Lehigh Acres, Fort Lauderdale, Weston, Immokalee, Cape Coral, Miami Gardens, Mobile, Bonita Springs, Miami, Kendale Lakes, East Naples, Cedar Rapids, Homestead, Jackson, Columbia
From where you are
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The launch
- Liftoff
- Sep 6, 2013, 11:27 PM EDT
- Status
- Launched
- Rocket
- Minotaur V (Orbital Sciences Corporation)
- Mission
- LADEE
- Pad
- Launch Area 0 B, Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia, USA
Minute by minute
A rocket at night looks like a bright, steady light climbing slowly, often with a glowing trail. After two or three minutes it gets smaller as it heads downrange, and you may see the first stage drop away.
Did you see it?
These reports came in around liftoff, and our sky checks matched them to this launch.
Coming up next
How we work this out: we follow a typical climb to orbit (about 70 km up two and a half minutes after liftoff, and about 210 km up and 1,400 km downrange after eight) in the direction the rocket flies, then work out how high above each city's horizon it gets and how dark that city's sky is. Clouds, hills and city lights aren't included. Launch times come from Launch Library 2 by The Space Devs. More on our methods.