Seeing the ISS

Pyro Pilots Lounge. For all topics *not* covered in other DBB forums.

Moderators: fliptw, roid

Post Reply
User avatar
El Ka Bong
DBB Ace
DBB Ace
Posts: 497
Joined: Sat Jun 16, 2001 2:01 am
Location: Vancouver, B.C. Canada

Seeing the ISS

Post by El Ka Bong »

I was driving into work at 6:30 am, nearing "the farm", and I saw the International Space Station cruising over head in the dark sky... Awesome sight to see it and know what it is; the big, bright mother-of-all-satelites, that really moves, shining steady from horizon to horizon.

This wasn't my first sighting of the ISS, I've seen it before a few times even with a space shuttle docked to it. So I wondered if any of you folks have seen it before ?

Here's the web page to look up sightings in your home town.

http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/realdata/si ... index.html
User avatar
Mobius
DBB_Master
DBB_Master
Posts: 7940
Joined: Sun Jun 03, 2001 2:01 am
Location: Christchurch, New Zealand
Contact:

Post by Mobius »

I have seen it a few times too, it tracks south west to north east directly over my home town, but is seldom visible, as it needs to be in the sun while we are in shadow, so the overlap is fairly small, and infrequent.

Most recently, Emma and I were dining at Rarotonga's finest restaurant, Tamarind House, watching the sun set, and 5 minutes later the ISS cruised overhead while the last bit of orange faded from the sky. That was awesome.

I watched it almost to the horizon, before it disappeared.

It's the brightest object in the night sky after the moon, and once the 3 other US solar panels are fitted, it will actually be visible in daylight. :)
Dedman
DBB Material Defender
DBB Material Defender
Posts: 4513
Joined: Tue Oct 15, 2002 2:01 am
Location: Atlanta

Post by Dedman »

I haven't seen the ISS, but I have seen the shuttle fly over my house a few years ago. Quite nifty.
User avatar
Iceman
DBB Habitual Type Killer
DBB Habitual Type Killer
Posts: 4929
Joined: Thu Apr 20, 2000 2:01 am
Location: Huntsville, AL. USA
Contact:

Post by Iceman »

That is cool! I am gonna have to try to see it myself.
Flabby Chick
DBB Fleet Admiral
DBB Fleet Admiral
Posts: 2367
Joined: Thu Jun 14, 2001 2:01 am
Location: Israel

Post by Flabby Chick »

how do you know what to look for?
User avatar
El Ka Bong
DBB Ace
DBB Ace
Posts: 497
Joined: Sat Jun 16, 2001 2:01 am
Location: Vancouver, B.C. Canada

Post by El Ka Bong »

..Just like what satellites look like: a big, bright, steadily moving "dot" .. brighter than any star. Today it looked just like a single bright dot in the binocs'

With a shuttle docked on the ISS, using binocculars I could discen more of the shape as being an irregular, almost T-shaped, and it had lighter and darker regions (i.e. shadows).
User avatar
Testiculese
DBB Material Defender
DBB Material Defender
Posts: 4689
Joined: Sun Nov 11, 2001 3:01 am

Post by Testiculese »

I've only seen a few satellites drift by. First time was a little freaky, I'd admit, didn't recognize it for what it was right away.
User avatar
Ned
DBB Ace
DBB Ace
Posts: 308
Joined: Thu Jul 08, 2004 9:58 pm
Location: Maryland

Post by Ned »

User avatar
AceCombat
Owned by Timex
Owned by Timex
Posts: 6516
Joined: Sat Apr 12, 2003 2:01 am
Location: Oakwood, GA

Post by AceCombat »

ISS is close to the horizon in ATL GA right now. SW Sky very very bright and motionless.
Post Reply