If you have ever yearned to see a Space Shuttle launch, but have never been able to make it down to Florida, you'll get a great opportunity -- weather and sky conditions permitting -- during the early evening hours on Tuesday, Dec. 4.

The launch of Mission STS-108 and the eleventh to rendezvous and dock with the International Space Station, should be readily visible along much of the Eastern Seaboard of the United States.

It is frequently possible to see the Shuttle and other rocket launches. Knowing when and where to look is the key.

The Shuttle Endeavour is expected to leave Pad 39B at Florida's Kennedy Space Center Tuesday at 5:45 p.m. EST. In order to meet up with the ISS, the Shuttle will be launched into an orbit that is inclined 51.6 to Earth's equator. Sometimes, after liftoff, the Shuttle heads out over the Atlantic straight east from Florida. However, the upcoming launch -- specially configured to match the ISS orbit -- will bring the Shuttle's path nearly parallel to the U.S. East Coast.

Before hoping to see the Shuttle streak across your local sky, you should make sure that it has left the launch pad. SPACE.com will provide live coverage via NASA TV.

When and where

Endeavour will be visible by virtue of the light emanating from its three main engines.

Based on past Shuttle missions with similar trajectories, it should appear to the unaided eye as a very bright, fast-moving star, shining with a pulsating yellowish-orange glow. Observers who train binoculars on the Shuttle should be able to see it accompanied by a tiny, almost drooping V-shaped contrail.

Prospective Shuttle-watchers should make sure that they have an unobstructed view of the southern and eastern horizons since, even for many localities along the East Coast, it will get no higher than 10 above the horizon just before it disappears from view.

To get an idea of how high 10 is, make a fist and hold it at arms length. Put the bottom of your fist on the horizon. The top part of your fist should be approximately 10. With fact this in mind, the best views will probably be from tall buildings or along south and southeast-facing shorelines.

Endeavour may seem to "flicker-out" for several seconds and finally disappear from view beginning about 8 minutes after launch as the main engines shut-down (called "MECO") and the Shuttle's orange giant external fuel tank is jettisoned over the Atlantic at a point 415 miles southeast of New York City. At that moment, the Shuttle will have climbed to an altitude of 375,000 feet (71 miles) and should be visible for a radius of some 700 miles from the point of main engine shutdown.

Times for selected cities

Notes about the table below: The Time of Closest Approach is based on the number of minutes counted forward from the time the Shuttle lifts off from Florida. Altitude of the Shuttle is the number of degrees measured from above the horizon. Azimuth is the horizontal angular distance measured clockwise in degrees along the horizon from due north. Hence: 0 = North; 90 = East; 180 = South; 270 = West.

As an example, for New York City on Tuesday evening, the Shuttle's closest approach will come 8 minutes after liftoff from Florida (5:53:30 p.m. EST), with a maximum altitude above the horizon of 8.0 at an azimuth of 129.6, or 39.6 south of due east.