I watched from near my home about 130 miles away. It launched on time. I had to wait a few seconds before it cleared some trees two blocks away. Watched with 7x50 binoculars; an orange elongated flame with some of the exhaust/contrail behind it having some blue in it. After a while, saw orange sparks behind it which I assume were the ejected boosters dropping off. Then it looked like a moving orange star and passed just above Sirius. At a certain stage - sorry I don't have all the stages of flight memorized - it started to take on a comet- like appearance - diffused orange color and I could see the widening exhaust/plume characteristic of this type of launch and the white exhaust in the middle of the comet-like image. Then after a while, there was a puff of smoke and it disappeared from my view. I watched the satellite TV feed up until T-3 min. When, I returned the commentator was indicating that all was well up to that point. -- Jake Rees Burbank, Calif., USA