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ISS


Keel M.

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I apologize if this isn't appropriate for this section, but something like this doesn't happen often. Especially since I live in a city with plenty of light pollution. :wacko: I'm usually prevented from enjoying something like this because of that or I'm not in the right hemisphere or even the right area of the country to see whatever can be seen by us mere mortals involving space.

Last night I caught a glimpse on the local news about being able to see the International Space Station fly-over. I have an app on my phone called Skyview that shows where it and the Hubble Telescope are, in addition to the position of the planets and the other usual star formations. I looked up viewing the space station and found a site provided by NASA that shows how you can view the station as it flies overhead. So I went outside at the appropriate time and found it with the app and just waited for it to fly over head. I was a little early, so I had to wait for it to come above the horizon, but it didn't take long. I sat in my mostly darkened backyard waiting and when I finally saw it, I thought it was actually a long-distance flight moving overhead, but when I turned on my phone and looked at the app, I saw it was indeed the space station flying over. It was kinda cool.

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17 minutes ago, Child of Bast said:

It was kinda cool.

I can't argue with that :tu:

When conditions are right the ISS is now brighter than Venus, making it the second brightest object in the night sky. I've watched pass over a few times and it still fills me with awe to know that there are human beings living and working on board.

Edited by Waspie_Dwarf
typo.
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It certainly made me feel as tiny as the light that flew across the sky. I also signed up to receive alerts from NASA on when it will be visible again. It's supposed to be visible tonight and October 2nd, I believe, but closer to the horizon and out of my view, unless I were to go to the lake. Maybe I can do that. :) 

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I still remember the night I saw the ISS and the space shuttle fly over in tandem - it looked as if the shuttle were hauling the ISS along on a massive rope ....  :)   Wasn't long after the shuttles were decommissioned, so a sight never to be seen again.   Only time I ever saw a shuttle but had seen the ISS quite a few times, most by design but a few times quite unexpectedly.

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1 hour ago, Essan said:

I still remember the night I saw the ISS and the space shuttle fly over in tandem - it looked as if the shuttle were hauling the ISS along on a massive rope ....  :)   Wasn't long after the shuttles were decommissioned, so a sight never to be seen again.   Only time I ever saw a shuttle but had seen the ISS quite a few times, most by design but a few times quite unexpectedly.

I bet THAT was a sight!  I've watched the ISS several times and am always awed by knowing WE (humanity) did that...  It's the same feeling when I remember watching Columbia lift off at night from Kennedy back in 1999.  That's a sight I'll never forget. We were 6 miles away, on the banks of the Indian river at the base and when the engines finally lit off (2 previous delays over 3 days), it was like a soft golden light bright enough to read news print by....

I hadn't heard of Skyview but I downloaded it.  Here's one from NASA that alerts you also:

https://spotthestation.nasa.gov/signup_complete.cfm

Happy watching!  

Edited by and then
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I apologize if I was confusing. I didn't mean that I used Skyview to send me the alert, only to find the station in the sky. I signed up on that very website you linked to, and then, to tell me of future times it can be sighted.

The only time I've seen any of the space shuttles was when one was being transported to it's final home at a museum somewhere. I got to see it piggybacked on a jumbo jet. That was pretty awesome and made up for the time I missed it when I was in the 6th grade.

Edited by Child of Bast
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I remember when I was working for the landscaping company I used to go on long road trips, whenever I see a train or copters flying low or come upon a mass of people grouped together somewhere I would wave like I was welcoming the mothership from sector Xenon9 ... I'll be whooping and blowing kisses ...

I have no idea if I can spot the ISS overhead but if I did I'd be waving too ... personally its for my own benefit regardless if they see me or not ...

:yes:

~ 'ell ... I'll dance nakkid under the sky they're passing by overhead ... but that's just me ... :D

 

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That website that and then shared works for anyone. You pick your country first then it will narrow it down to your location and then show you what you can see. You never know.

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thanks CoB ... i'll give it a go ... though under the equatorial skies ... a clear and cloudless span is a bit hard to come by ...

~

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Yeah, I`m ISS addicted as well and I use these 2 free apps on my smartphone:

- The (relatively new) Heavens-Above app. Very nice app with a star map, so you can find the location where the ISS appear and pass by very easy by pointing the phone at the sky, and reminder function so you will not miss a fly-by. In addition, the most common satellites can be tracked with this app as well and also the bright IRIDIUM flares.

- The ISS onLive app. Holy &hit! This app connects to the "outdoor" cams of the ISS in livestream modus to your smartphone. The app always offers 2 different cam views (plus a NASA TV channel) and a map to look where the ISS is at the moment on a split screen but each one can be selected for the full view. When the ISS is in the night shadow, the time untill it will fly into the sunrise is also mentioned. And its quite amazing to see the sunrise from the orbit. Also, screenshots in HD can be taken very easily. Be a little carefull with this app because it sucks a lot of data (HD).

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  • 7 months later...
 

Sorry for the necroposting, but there was a post I have wanted to add to this topic since it first appeared. A series of events (mostly poor weather) have delayed this post by around eight months but, about an hour ago ,I finally got to photograph the ISS as it passed over my house.

A combination of having to set up the camera in a hurry, a new camera I am not entirely familiar with and a rather large amount of alcohol mean that this is far from the best photo I have ever taken (it's slightly out of focus for a start) but I think it's not too bad for a first attempt.

zYUcQl.jpg

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One kinda cool fact is I'm located in Jax and I can see the rocket launches in my backyard when they take off from cape canaveral. Not hard to see at all it's clear as day (and is usually witnessed during the day). 

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