Atlas V Rising
Early morning risers along Florida's Space Coast, planet Earth,
were treated to a launch spectacle
on September 2nd.
Before dawn an Atlas V rocket rose into still dark skies carrying
a US Navy communications satellite from Cape Canaveral Air Force
Station into Earth orbit.
This minutes
long exposure follows the rocket's arc
climbing eastward over the Atlantic.
As
the rocket rises above Earth's shadow,
its fiery trail becomes an eerie,
noctilucent
exhaust plume glinting in sunlight.
Of course, the short, bright startrail just above the cloud bank is
Venus rising, now appearing in planet Earth's skies as
the brilliant morning star.