if you look near the top of the photo, you'll see a purple line. this is the landing strip for the shuttle. the purple X on the left edge of the photo near the top marks where i usually watch launches from, but did not this time. this is roughly the intersection of routes 50 and 1. the green X is launch complex 39B, and the yellow X is launch complex 39A. this mission launched from 39A. the distance from the yellow X to the purple X is about 10 miles (16 km). the red X at the bottom right is where i took these photos from. this location is about 14 miles from the launch pad. it's more distant, but it was the only place i knew to go that was relatively close and would let me photograph the shuttle heading over the atlantic. it afforded me some other nice surprises too, as you will see.

i kept snapping pics before launch, to keep the camera out of sleep mode. this was the last one i got, of daylight slowly creeping over the atlantic, before liftoff.

LIFTOFF | ASCENT and SRB SEPARATION | ON TO ORBIT | TRAIL IN THE SKY

ducks and rockets