See the space station in orbit

[Tipe2]

Cool

 

[Hazuki24]

Thats pretty cool.

 

[Armitage]

For more: Heavens Above

 

[Descartes]

I see the ISS quite often during my observations. I was at our local observatory two weeks ago, and I saw it across the northern sky just after sunset. I trained my astronomical binoculars and one of my telescopes on it and tracked it until it disappeared in the earth's shadow. It's a pretty cool sight; at least cool to know what I was actually seeing. I've had a satellite or two zoom across my field or view when doing observations before, and it's surprising until you look it up and realize it's "just another satellite."

 

[TheBDB]

I saw it a couple years ago, for about 15 seconds right at dusk. Is it brighter now that they have added more parts?

 

[PowerMacG5]

Originally posted by: TheBDB
I saw it a couple years ago, for about 15 seconds right at dusk. Is it brighter now that they have added more parts?

A couple of years ago it wasn't visible by the naked eye.

 

[Wallydraigle]

A couple years ago I saw two tiny dots cross the sky a couple hours before dawn. I was like, "Huh that's weird." A few minutes later I heard on the radio that the space shuttle was about to dock with the space station. That was the coolest thing ever.

 

[bernse]

Originally posted by: Marauder911

Originally posted by: TheBDB
I saw it a couple years ago, for about 15 seconds right at dusk. Is it brighter now that they have added more parts?

A couple of years ago it wasn't visible by the naked eye.

That is incorrect. It's always been big enough to be visible. You've just got to be in the right place at the right time. You can see satellites far, far smaller than it, too.

 

[PowerMacG5]

Originally posted by: bernse

Originally posted by: Marauder911

Originally posted by: TheBDB
I saw it a couple years ago, for about 15 seconds right at dusk. Is it brighter now that they have added more parts?

A couple of years ago it wasn't visible by the naked eye.

That is incorrect. It's always been big enough to be visible. You've just got to be in the right place at the right time. You can see satellites far, far smaller than it, too.

When I was in space camp (around 1997 and 1998) and they first started setting it up around then (which is a few years ago), the only way they were able to show it to us was using telescopes or astronomical binoculars.

 

[bernse]

Well, it would have been easier to see with binoculars, but by no means were the necessary. Maybe when the time you were looking the sun wasn't quite right to see it at its brightest?

Either way, it has always been visible since it was launched.. it's just much more visible now since its got more solar panels and modules.

 

[Armitage]

Originally posted by: Marauder911

Originally posted by: bernse

Originally posted by: Marauder911

Originally posted by: TheBDB
I saw it a couple years ago, for about 15 seconds right at dusk. Is it brighter now that they have added more parts?

A couple of years ago it wasn't visible by the naked eye.

That is incorrect. It's always been big enough to be visible. You've just got to be in the right place at the right time. You can see satellites far, far smaller than it, too.

When I was in space camp (around 1997 and 1998) and they first started setting it up around then (which is a few years ago), the only way they were able to show it to us was using telescopes or astronomical binoculars.

As bernse said, you can see much smaller stuff maked eye ... the issue is primarily sun angle, and to a lesser degree the shape, orientation & reflectivity of the object. The sun angle (phase angle) is why you generally see LEO satellites in the early evening or just before sunrise. The satellite is still sunlit due to its altitude, but the viewer is in the dark.

 

[DanTMWTMP]

7:02pm, NW/W...duration 3 minutes...53 deg. above horizon..


coooool

 

[Descartes]

I couldn't find an official magnitude listing or the IIS that went back to its launch, but here is an article that says it was published in '99, and it lists it as between 1-4 magnitude; certainly bright enough for naked-eye observation at that time.

 

[bernse]

If you think that's neat, look for an Iridium flare.

 

[Descartes]

Originally posted by: bernse
If you think that's neat, look for an Iridium flare.

Heavens Above has predictions as well. I'm not sure if you can see that w/o logging in or not.

 

[RossGr]

This is my favorite spot for tracking SSI or the shuttle. Be sure to check out the 3d real time model of ALL (most anyway) satellites.

 

[Descartes]

Originally posted by: RossGr
This is my favorite spot for tracking SSI or the shuttle. Be sure to check out the 3d real time model of ALL (most anyway) satellites.

I'm spoiled by Heavens Above, because it tells me the altazimuth coords and time for my altitude. It does so for Hubble too, but I've honestly never tried to locate it.

 

[Tipe2]

It will be passing overhead in one hour for me, unfortunately it is heavily clouded and raining where I live

 

[RossGr]

I just registered on the Heaves above site. It is very nice indeed. Thats for the link.

 

[Bootprint]

The ISS shot with a telescope and webcam

 

[XZeroII]

It will be overhead in about 1 hour

 

[cthulhu]

1.5 hours till its overhead.

 

[dmcowen674]

Originally posted by: lirion
A couple years ago I saw two tiny dots cross the sky a couple hours before dawn. I was like, "Huh that's weird." A few minutes later I heard on the radio that the space shuttle was about to dock with the space station. That was the coolest thing ever.

Actually saw the shuttle docked with it when it passed overhead here in Atlanta. Was very cool.