That is not accurate. They CAN land at night at Edwards. In fact, as I type the OMS engines are burning for a 6:12 CDT touchdown at Edwards which is (according to the CAPCOM) 54 minutes prior to local sunrise at Edwards.

When Eddie saw that re-entry over his house, I was taping it too and we were on the phone together. I will never forget how as the Orbiter was getting near Eddie's eastern horizon and the end of his viewing, I was seeing it on my western horizon. I am in Slidell LA and he is in Baton Rouge!!! I was taping it too Ralph. VERY cool. Too bad we might never get to see a sight like that again. They are rather squeamish about entry over land (at least populated land) after Columbia.