How to Watch: Rocket Launch Visible From Hudson Valley

Three rockets are set to blast off, putting on a spectacular show that will be visible from areas of New York.

When I was growing up, rocket launches were a big deal. It wasn't every day that a vehicle was launched from the earth and catapulted into space. And when these missions were manned, everything would shut down so we could huddle around a television set and watch it happen live.

I remember witnessing several of the NASA Space Shuttle launches in grammar school, including the doomed Challenger flight. I was in eighth grade when the whole school was assembled in the cafeteria to watch the historic takeoff that ended in tragedy.

Today, these launches have become commonplace. It seems like a rocket is going off every day, sending satellites, supplies and Katy Perry into space, and no one really seems to care. This week, Hudson Valley residents may not be able to avoid noticing a spectacular launch involving not one, but three rockets that will be visible from the New York area.

How to Watch This Week's Rocket Launch in New York State

According to NASA, the entire Mid-Atlantic Region may be able to catch a glimpse of the TOMEX+ sounding rocket mission that is expected to lift off on Monday, August 25 at 10pm.

The launch will take place at the Wallops Flight Facility on Wallops Island, Virginia. Weather permitting, the rockets will be visible as far away as the Hudson Valley region of New York.

The image above shows how long after launch the rocket will become visible due to the curvature of the earth. In the Hudson Valley, the rocket should show up over the southern horizon up to a minute after 10pm as long as skies remain clear.