Showing Tonight: A Spectacular Minotaur Rocket Launch Over Columbia

NASA's return trip to the moon’s atmosphere comes well after dark, and because the Minotaur V rocket is set to be launched from NASA's Wallops Island facility on Virginia's coast, you should be able to see it from your yard.

By Todd Richissin

The weather forecast for Columbia calls for clear skies and a low of 50 degrees.

The launch window is from 11:27 p.m. to 11:31 p.m.

If you’re going to try to see it, you’ll be interested in what NASA has to say:

"As a reference, when you look at your fist with your arm fully outstretched, it spans approximately 10 degrees. Thus, if you are in Washington, DC, the highest point the Minotaur V will reach is approximately 13 degrees above the horizon, or just slightly more than a fist's width."

The rocket will be operated by a Virginia corporation, Orbital Sciences of Dulles.