NASA Rocket Launch Could Be Visible In Connecticut

CONNECTICUT — The latest launch of a rocket by NASA may be seen with the naked eye in Connecticut, if the weather conditions are right.

NASA is scheduled to launch a Black Brant XII sounding rocket from their Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia at 7:58 p.m. Friday. The launch may be visible from Florida to Maine and as far west as Chicago.

The National Weather Service likes our chances of being able to see the launch, with partly sunny skies forecast into Friday evening when more clouds are expected to start rolling in.

If the weather really doesn't cooperate, backup launch days are planned through May 16.

Skywatchers should look to the southeast about 30 to 60 seconds after the 7:58 p.m. launch time. The rocket is supposed to release vapor when it hits an altitude of 200 miles as part of an experiment.

The overarching mission, called the KiNETic-scale energy and momentum transport eXperiment, or KiNet-X, is designed to study how energy and momentum are transported between different regions of "space plasma."

The launch will also be streamed online at the Wallops website starting at 7:30 p.m. Friday.