Photo and caption by Michelle Novak

Sleepy eyed, yet determined at 6:22am on April 5th, 2010 to capture the beauty of Space Shuttle Discovery's second to last launch from pad 39A, I perched atop one of my favorite roosting places. Awestruck, I watched the light from the rising sun dance along the contrail of smoke as Discovery lifted into orbit. As she got farther and farther away she morphed into this jellyfish like orb, a sight I've never before seen. This launch was incredibly special.

Location: Cape Canaveral, Florida, USA