Space Shuttle Projects

This awesome image depicts the full moon, sunset launch of the Space Shuttle Orbiter Atlantis STS-98 mission on February 7, 2001 at 6:13 p.m. eastern time. The large white plume is the pillar of smoke and stream left behind by the solid rocket boosters. The very bright dot that exists above the plume is the flame still visible at the base of the rocket boosters. The top of the plume is being directly illuminated by sunlight whereas the bottom portion lies within the Earth's shadow. The bright orb in the lower right-hand corner of the image is the full sunlit face of the moon which has already risen above the eastern horizon. The dark cone-shaped feature extending downward towards the moon is the smoke plume shadow, known as the Bugeron Effect (common during sunrise and sunset launches). The Earth, Moon, and Sun were naturally in alignment causing the shadow to appear to end at the moon. (Photo courtesy Patrick McCracken, NASA Headquarters)