10:15 AM | **Rare dual space event early tonight...first nighttime launch of an Antares rocket at 6:45 pm and, at nearly the same time, transit of the International Space Station - both should be visible throughout the Mid-Atlantic region**

[Antares rocket on launch pad this weekend]

Discussion

Overview Sky watcher’s in the Mid-Atlantic region will have a chance to witness a rare dual space event early tonight as there will be the first nighttime launch of an Antares rocket and at nearly the same time the International Space Station (ISS) will be in transit and both events should be visible.

Antares Rocket Launch at NASA/Wallops NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility and Virginia’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport are all set to support the launch of Orbital Sciences’ Antares rocket this evening at 6:45 p.m. EDT – the first nighttime launch of the Antares rocket. The Antares rocket will carry Orbital’s Cygnus cargo spacecraft, loaded with some 5,000 pounds of supplies and science experiments, to the International Space Station (ISS). The launch to the ISS was delayed three days due to Hurricane Gonzalo and its direct hit on the island of Bermuda which is also home to a critical rocket tracking station. Orbital Sciences Corp.’s Antares rocket was raised into vertical position at launch Pad-0A early on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2014, at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia (above). Depending on local weather conditions, the Antares blastoff will be visible along much of the US eastern seaboard – stretching from Maine to South Carolina. This is the heaviest Cygnus cargo load to date because the Antares rocket is outfitted for the first time with a more powerful second stage from the manufacturer ATK.

[Another view of the Antares rocket]

The viewing map (below) shows the time at which one can first expect to see the Antares rocket after it is launched at around 6:45 pm this evening. In the DC metro region, look to the low horizon in the southeastern sky at launch time; in Philly look to the southern horizon; and in NYC look towards the south-southwest horizon at launch time.

Orbital 3 Launch from NASA Wallops Island, VA on Oct. 27, 2014 - Time of First Sighting Map. This map shows the rough time at which you can first expect to see Antares after it is launched on Oct. 27, 2014. It represents the time at which the rocket will reach 5 degrees above the horizon and varies depending on your location. As an example, using this map when observing from Washington, DC shows that Antares will reach 5 degrees above the horizon approximately 117 seconds after launch (L + 117 sec). Credit: Orbital Sciences

NASA will broadcast the Antares launch live on NASA TV starting at 5:45 p.m. – http://www.nasa.gov/nasatv. Launch updates will also be available via the Wallops Facebook and Twitter sites: www.facebook.com/NASAWFF www.twitter.com/NASA_Wallops

International Space Station pass In addition to the rocket launch, there will be a NW-to-SE International Space Station transit of the sky at about the same time which should also be visible along the east coast. Here are some Mid-Atlantic example times and sky locations for the viewing early tonight of the ISS:

1) Norristown, PA Area - Space Station Transit - Time: Mon Oct 27 6:50 PM, Visible: 6 min, Max Height: 61 degrees, Appears: WNW, Disappears: SE

2) Chantilly, VA Area - Space Station Transit - Time: Mon Oct 27 6:49 PM, Visible: 6 min, Max Height: 88 degrees, Appears: NW, Disappears: SE

3) New York, NY Area - Space Station Transit - Time: Mon Oct 27 6:51 PM, Visible 4 min, Max height: 48 degrees, Appears: W, Disappears: SSE