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5 Best Places in the Levittown Area to See Tuesday Night’s Rocket Launch

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By

Tom Sofield

The launch of a rocket in Virginia is expected to light up the sky over Levittown Tuesday night.

The U.S. Air Force launch will launch an Orbital Sciences Minotaur 1 rocket some during a two-hour-long launch window that begins at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.

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The rocket with its payload of satellites will take off from the Wallops Flight Facility and Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport on Wallops Island, Va. The facility is run by NASA.

 

Depending on the weather, the launch will be visible from Canada to Florida and as far west as Michigan. The spacecraft will be visible in the southeast portion of the area starting at about 30 seconds after launch.

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Click here to see the Mission Control update page

The National Weather Service is calling for “mostly clear” skies during the launch window.

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In September, the Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) rocket launch was visible from the Levittown area. 

If you’re looking for some great area outlooks to see the launch, we’ve got them for you below. (Disclaimer: Some of the locations are “closed” to visitors at night. Our list is of possible places to watch the launch. We can’t guarantee you’ll be able to gain access to all the sites, and we would certainly never condone trespassing.)

1. Woodbourne Square Shopping Center in Middletown

The parking lot of the Woodbourne Square Shopping Center at the intersection of Maple Avenue and Woodbourne Road provides a overlook toward the southeast. Credit: Google Street View
The parking lot of the Woodbourne Square Shopping Center at the intersection of Maple Avenue and Woodbourne Road provides a overlook toward the southeast.
Credit: Google Street View

2. Bristol Wharf in Bristol

 

The river-front views at the Bristol Wharf should provide excellent viewing for Friday night's launch. Credit: Jeff Bohen/LevittownNow.com
The river-front views at the Bristol Wharf should provide excellent viewing for Friday night’s launch.
Credit: Jeff Bohen/LevittownNow.com

3. Quaker Penn Park in Falls

The boat docks at Quaker Penn Park along the Delaware River in Falls Township should make a great spot to catch the rocket launch. Credit: Tom Sofield/LevittownNow.com

4. Maple Point Middle School in Middletown

File photo Credit: Tom Sofield/LevittownNow.com
The school sits on a hill that should provide a great view of the southeast portion of the night sky. The ideal location would be the parking lot above the sports fields.
Credit: Tom Sofield/LevittownNow.com

5. Neshaminy State Park in Bensalem and Croydon

The banks of the Delaware River in Croydon and Bensalem should also provide excellent spots to watch the rocket launch, which will appear to the left of the skyline. Credit: Tom Sofield/LevittownNow.com
The banks of the Delaware River in Croydon and Bensalem should also provide excellent spots to watch the rocket launch, which will appear to the left of the skyline.
Credit: Tom Sofield/LevittownNow.com
Tom Sofield

Tom Sofield

Tom Sofield has covered news in Bucks County for 16 years for both newspaper and online publications. Tom’s reporting has appeared locally, nationally, and internationally across several mediums. He is proud to report on news in the county where he lives and to have created a reliable publication that the community deserves.