Stargazers on the East Coast of the US will get a special spectral treat tonight as NASA prepares its sixth attempt at a rocket launch. Later this evening, the space agency will create artificial, colorful clouds as a way to study auroras and the ionosphere.
According to NASA, the most recent attempt on June 11th was scrapped due to “boats in the launch range hazard area.” This time, the launch will occur between 9:04 and 9:19 pm EDT—folks from New York to North Carolina should be able to see some red and blue clouds.
“Canisters will deploy between 4 and 5.5 minutes after launch releasing blue-green and red vapor to form artificial clouds,” NASA said in a statement. “These clouds, or vapor tracers, allow scientists on the ground to visually track particle motions in space.”
Those on the West Coast and/or locked in a dungeon can check out the live stream here, beginning at around 8:30 EDT. Hopefully it won’t get cancelled—again.
Update (6/12): It got cancelled.
[NASA]