I was in French Guiana, to see the VA259 Ariane 5 launch from the European Space Center at Kourou.

I managed to snag the best launch viewing ticket available to the general public, at the IBIS viewing deck, but that still put me 13km (8 miles) away. It was still a very fine launch to see!  As usual, it started with odd plumes of smoke and flame that made me briefly fear an accident, then a fine fiery ascent.  Even at 8 miles, it was notably bright.  Hurrah!  Not a Soyuz, but still fun!

Here are a couple of snaps, with my telephoto zoom from 8 miles through a slight haze…