Hello to all! I've tracked down this list in an effort to find some answers. Please be easy on me, I'm a biologist and not well versed in astronomical stuff. I hope that someone can help me. On the evening of Nov. 7, 1997, I was on a camping trip about 1 hour south of Cape Canaveral. We were lucky enough to observe a launch (which NASA web site lists as a Titan IV) and watched in amazement as it traveled the night sky. I'd never seen a launch before....I think I'm hooked. As the launch became nothing more than a point of light high in the sky, I observed what looked like a firework going off. It emanated out from the rocket in a perfect circle and faded quickly. After that phenomena, the point that marked the rocket was dimmer. So here's my question....what was this and how does it happen? Is this what happens when something breaks out of the atmosphere? Or have I spent too much time breathing from a SCUBA tank and am now seeing things? Thanks in advance for your help. Cheers Pam -- Pamela Bachman Nova Southeastern University Oceanographic Center 8000 N. Ocean Drive Dania, FL 33004 Voice: (954) 920-1909 E-Mail: bachman@ocean.nova.edu