Space Station Spotting

[drive2tractors]

Woo Hoo! Just watched its complete travel across the sky. Could just make out some shape with the binoculars.
Brill!
Thanks EricMC for the tip!
Andrew

[outnumbered]

Think I saw it too - a bright point of light, it appeared at the right time in the right place... Lots of aircraft about though so easy to be confused, and I forgot my binoculars.

[Racefan_uk]

I think I saw it, across the sky from the SW (as the Nasa tracking gives it) and over the top of the moon.
Don't have powerful enough binoculars to be able to see it very well, but boy was it travelling!

[Hedders]

I could see it clear as anything here in MK!

I watched it for five mins, very cool.

Is it coming back again or is that it for tonight?

[Mojocvh]

Just watched the ISS pass H to H in the dusk here, Superb.

[philthy]

Patchy cloud here in south Devon, but saw it for a couple of minutes.

[Brother Mycroft]

I live in a 'frost hollow' so I only saw it for 3mins... before it was 'swallowed' by the treetops.

[72twink]

Only thing moving in the sky where I was (Sutton in Ashfield) remembered just in time - cheers EricMc

[drive2tractors]

Will we be able to see it again tomorrow? Will we still be able to see it when the Space Shuttle is up with it? (Weather permitting of course!)
Andrew

[MentalSarcasm]

Gaaah, I forgot >.<

[Raffles]

Eric Mc said:

Try www.heavens-above.com

You can register for free. Just put in your location in the UK and you will be able to get a list of passes of the ISS (and Shuttle when it's in orbit) and many other orbiting objects visible from where you live.

I'm on an oil rig in the Central North Sea. Any idea of websites where one simply puts in a Lat and Long for viewings, tried a Google search...

I came on shift and spotted this on PH too late to have a chance of seeing it. But we currently have a bright red moon over all the rigs on the horizon with their flares burning. Looks awesome

Cheers, R

ETA: I have worked out how to do it....

Edited by Raffles on Saturday 20th October 19:56

[Eric Mc]

Third time lucky. Easily visible this time.

As I said earlier, heavens-above.com (you need to register but it's free) provides a list of passes for the next few days. Hopefully, a few with the Shuttle attached will be visble. It appears slightly brighter when the 90 foot long Shuttle is docked.

On the last mission, I had the good fortune to see the space station being chased across the sky by Atlantis as it closed in for its rendevous and docking. They were separated by two minutes - which equates to about 600 miles at orbital speeds (17,500 mph).

Edited by Eric Mc on Saturday 20th October 19:45

[jmorgan]

drive2tractors said:

Will we be able to see it again tomorrow? Will we still be able to see it when the Space Shuttle is up with it? (Weather permitting of course!)
Andrew

I have 21st October 17:26 so may be a bit light. Then 19:01 but low. Both in the west going to the east.... ish Whether Starry night is up to date it also has progress following closely.

22nd at 17:48 then again at 19:23 but lower than 21st.

23 at around 18:11 but getting lower.

Off Software so hope its all up to speed with the correct elements.

Edited to add, logged onto Heavens above and pretty much the same times. Handy site that.

Edited by jmorgan on Saturday 20th October 19:56

[Eric Mc]

Date Mag Starts Ends
Time Alt.Az. Time Alt. Az. Time Alt. Az.
20 Oct -1.5 18:39:28 10 W 18:42:16 48 SSW 18:45:03 10 SE
20 Oct 0.7 20:15:46 10 WSW 20:16:51 12 SW 20:17:14 11 SSW
21 Oct -0.3 19:02:38 10 W 19:05:04 24 SSW 19:07:29 10 SSE
22 Oct 0.9 19:26:33 10 WSW 19:27:41 12 SW 19:28:49 10 SSW
23 Oct -0.1 18:13:25 10 W 18:15:51 25 SSW 18:18:17 10 SSE
24 Oct 1.1 18:37:14 10 WSW 18:38:26 12 SW 18:39:37 10 SSW

These are the hevens-above listings up to 29 October. It looks like it wont pass overhead the UK in darlk enough conditions to be seen after 24 October.

The timings shown indicate at what point it reaches 10 degrees above the horizon, what time it reaches maximum altitude above the observer and what time it disappears to the viewer. The "Mag" number indicates maximum brightness (called "magnitude" by astronomers). The bigger the "minus" figure, the brighter the appearance. It seems this recent pass was the brightest for a while (Mag = -1.5).

Unfortunately, I can't get the columns to line up properly with the numbers - which is a bit annoying.

Edited by Eric Mc on Saturday 20th October 19:58

[MentalSarcasm]

Oh, it's coming back in a few minutes? Excellent, I don't understand numbers, which direction should I look in (North, East, South, West, I already know to look up).

[wobert]

Just passed over us moving from SW to SSW. Partly obscured by Clouds (C) Pink Floyd, but clearly visible.

My 8yr old son is all excited now, as if the rubgy wasn't enough.

[MentalSarcasm]

I am an idiot and did not see those letters in front of the co-ordinates.

Still couldn't see the bloody shuttle though. Will try again tomorrow night.

[jmorgan]

Sodding clouds have not long retreated. Ah well. Sky ain't going anywhere.

[Eric Mc]

No Shuttle to see at the moment. Discovery will be launched on 23rd (if there are no delays or scrubs).

[drive2tractors]

Found the info on when to see the shuttle on the following web site:
http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/realdata/sightings/cit...
Just follow the links to your location....can't wait

Andrew