East Coast skywatchers may be able to watch the effects of NASA's rapid firing of five rockets early Thursday, an experiment to learn more about the jet stream's current at the edge of space.

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NASA plans to launch the five rockets in five minutes from coastal Virginia sometime between midnight and 1:30 a.m. EDT Thursday. The rockets are to release a chemical trail to track winds that circle the planet at up to 300 mph, about 65 miles above the Earth.

Officials say long, milky white clouds should be visible for about 20 minutes from Myrtle Beach, S.C., to southern New Hampshire, and as far west as Morgantown, W.Va. -- weather and ground lighting permitting. That area covers cities such as Washington, Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York and Boston.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)

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