Meteor in the sky...

Jack and I were mesmerized at 6:38 pm yesterday by a giant ball of fire that we saw crossing the evening sky. We took some photos in our backyard of this incredible sight to share the unique experience with you. Can you guess what it is? (Click on photos to enlarge) I'll give you some clues...

 Clue #1: This phenomenon occurs about every three months.

Clue #2: This ball of fire originates from the city of Kourou, about 80 kilometers from Cayenne where we live.

Clue #3: The ball of fire leaves behind it a trail of smoke that slowly dissipates into the atmosphere.

Answer: It's the Ariane rocket launch! Kourou is the "Cape Canaveral" of French Guiana where the European Space Center is located. The Ariane rocket has been successfully sending satellites into space for decades now and has proved itself as the world's most reliable rocket. The space industry is also French Guiana's most important economic sector worth several billions of dollars.

Below is a photo of last evening's launch taken by some of Jack's friends. They were down at the beach and had an excellent view of the Ariane rocket as it lifted into space.