I watched the night launch of space shuttle Endeavour on Friday, November 14 at 7:55 PM EST. It was amazing. On lift-off, the horizon turned white/orange, and as the shuttle ascended, it was as if a small sun was raising into the night sky. A picture (and vids) are certainly worth more than a thousand words.

shuttle endeavour night launch

Featured Image: Blazing light surrounds space shuttle Endeavour, eclipsing the light from the nearby full moon, as it roars toward space from Launch Pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. Image credit: NASA/Troy Cryder Nov. 14, 2008

You can check out more Endeavour images from the NASA image gallery. YouTuber, PLKmiami, took the short launch video below with a digital camera from approximately 12 miles across the Indian River. You can see the nearly full moon in the background.

If you missed the launch, you can watch a longer video of the full launch. You can also follow what Endeavor and it’s crew are up to at the International Space Station.