Rocket Launch

It was the launch of a Delta 2 rocket, NASA's Kepler spacecraft to discover and characterize hundreds of planets.

Spent 5 hours sitting on the pier at Jetty Park in Port Canaveral tonight. We were not alone, there were probably 500 other people. Many set up camp early as we did so we could have our spot. Blankets, sleeping bags, coolers, lawn chairs and camera's off all shapes and sizes. Our spot on the pier was 3 miles from the launch pad. We are fortunate to be camping on site so we could take turns going back to the buggie to check on Rigley.

We were also fortunate to be sitting next to a photographer from the Boston area. He fiddled with my camera and his for an hour trying to figure out settings. Neither of us new what to expect. We were taken by surprise by the sheer brightness of the launch. It was almost as bright as looking at the sun. Most of my pictures are just a big bright ball. Next week we'll try for a picture of the shuttle but that launch is 13 miles away.