SHUTTLE REENTRY VISIBLE

Launch Alert reader Rick Baldridge recently passed the word that part
of the upcoming reentry of Space Shuttle Columbia will occur over
northern California before dawn on February 1st.

According to Rick "The shuttle will be re-entering the Earth's
atmosphere over the North Bay Area at 4:48am (22 minutes before
landing) which is well before the start of astronomical twilight,
yielding a spectacular sight to all of central and northern
California, Nevada and points east almost to the Mississippi River
basin where sunlight will begin to interfere.

Many PAS [Penninsula Astronomical Society] members have seen these
re-entries before, and they make a fabulous sight -- easily video
taped and/or photographed."

Since the Shuttle will be at a very high altitude when it passes
over northern California, the reentry may be visible for hundreds of
miles either side of the ground track. This could provide a rare
spectacle for the southern part of California.