ISS Sightings

[Boris_Badenov]

I was leaving for work at 5:00am on 09/22/2006, & stopped at the front gate to look at the absolutely beautiful predawn sky. I like to do this because I can see so many stars from this area. As some of you know, I live on my parents 800 acre sheep ranch in east central Az, about 25 miles east of Snowflake Az. As I stood there I saw a fast moving point of light coming from the west & heading just north of east. (I did not have a compass, so this was a judgment call). I knew instantly it was the ISS, but just to make sure, after work I Googled �ISS Sightings� & came up with the NASA website below. Sure enough the ISS made a pass at that time & in that direction. This has been just the first time I have seen it, as I plan on looking more often now. Believe me it was beautiful & inspirational. If anybody else has seen it, lets hear about your sighting.<br /><br />http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/realdata/sightings/cities/skywatch.cgi?country=United+States <br /><br />(I tried to load a map of my location, but the file was too big. Snowflake is halfway between Holbrook & Show Low on AZ Highway 77 in southern Navajo County, & I live about 25 miles east of town in the direction of St Johns) <br /><br />edit <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#993300"><span class="body"><font size="2" color="#3366ff"><div align="center">. </div><div align="center">Never roll in the mud with a pig. You'll both get dirty & the pig likes it.</div></font></span></font> </div>

 

[disownedsky]

<p>If you want to post a map, you can go to Google Maps, center the location of interest, then click "Link to this Page" and copy the URL. For example. Note the lat and lon in the URL:</p> <code>&ll=40.413888,-74.727287</code>

 

[Boris_Badenov]

Thx shuttle_guy, thats a great site. I printed off the schedule for Genesis-1, I have been looking for it since I spotted the Iss the first time without any luck. Now that I have the time & heading it should be no problem. Also, I spotted the ISS again this AM, & said hello to Anousheh & the crew as they went by. I'm sure they saw me wave<img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /><img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /><img src="/images/icons/laugh.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#993300"><span class="body"><font size="2" color="#3366ff"><div align="center">. </div><div align="center">Never roll in the mud with a pig. You'll both get dirty & the pig likes it.</div></font></span></font> </div>

 

[Boris_Badenov]

I looked for Genesis-1 this morning at 4:59AM. No luck<img src="/images/icons/frown.gif" /> But I did see a couple of really good meteors<img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /><br />And I'll try again tomorrow at 4:54AM<img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#993300"><span class="body"><font size="2" color="#3366ff"><div align="center">. </div><div align="center">Never roll in the mud with a pig. You'll both get dirty & the pig likes it.</div></font></span></font> </div>

 

[fatal291]

how can I see it from Richmond,VA: 37.5540N, 77.4610W?

 

[mah_fl]

I have seen the ISS many times. Last week I saw it and it was brighter after the addition of the second set of solar panels. I am currently in north east Florida.

 

[Boris_Badenov]

I have tried for 2 mornings in a row to spot Genesis with no luck<img src="/images/icons/frown.gif" /> But i'm not giving up <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#993300"><span class="body"><font size="2" color="#3366ff"><div align="center">. </div><div align="center">Never roll in the mud with a pig. You'll both get dirty & the pig likes it.</div></font></span></font> </div>

 

[green_meklar]

I believe I saw it once, a few years ago. It was fairly bright for a satellite, and moving quite fast. Other than that it wasn't much more than a moving white dot in the sky. Sort of makes you wonder when we'll build something big enough to have a shape as seen with the naked eye... <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>________________</p><p>Repent! Repent! The technological singularity is coming!</p> </div>

 

[Boris_Badenov]

The ISS brightened by about double when they installed the new Solar Panels last week. When all the panels are installed it will have the same albedo as Venus. As for seeing detail at the altitude the ISS is in, I think the size would have to be quite large. Much larger than what we will have the capability for in the foreseeable future. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#993300"><span class="body"><font size="2" color="#3366ff"><div align="center">. </div><div align="center">Never roll in the mud with a pig. You'll both get dirty & the pig likes it.</div></font></span></font> </div>

 

[green_meklar]

<blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr /><p>As for seeing detail at the altitude the ISS is in, I think the size would have to be quite large. Much larger than what we will have the capability for in the foreseeable future.<p><hr /></p></p></blockquote><br />It seems likely that the ISS itself will never become large enough to see detail. But it's quite conceivable that we could see detail on an orbiting object.<br /><br />Okay, I'll try doing the math here. Let's say one degree of size is required to see detail (I'm trying to err on the side aof not being able to see detail), and the object we're looking at is 350 kilometers up. According to my favorite online triangle calculator, the object would then have to be about six kilometers across in order for us to see detail on it. If said object was a space mirror for reflecting light onto the Earth, it would be very thin. Let's say it's one millimeter thick on average, and the same density as water. That gives us one kilogram per square meter, or a total of 36000000 kilograms if the object was square. The current price for launching on top of a Proton rocket, according to Wikipedia, is about $4300 per kilogram. So in other words, we could build an object you'd be able to see detail on for $154800000000. Quite a large sum, indeed, but it means that John D Rockefeller, whose maximum wealth has been estimated at approximately $189000000000 in modern US dollars, would have been able to build it with <i>no</i> new technology besides that required to hold the object together. And of course, having a space elevator in place would reduce the cost by a factor of at least ten.<br /><br />Yes, I know, I'm a hopeless number-crunchaholic. Tell me if I made any mistakes. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>________________</p><p>Repent! Repent! The technological singularity is coming!</p> </div>

 

[billslugg]

You seem to be a bit conservative. I found references <br />claiming the resolution of the human eye to be anywhere from .6 to 1.0 arc minutes. That would make the satellite<br />only 300 meters across. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p> </p> </div>

 

[green_meklar]

The resolution level doesn't give us detail. Just like a single pixel on your computer screen can't have multiple different shapes. You have to get a little larger than the resolution level before detail can be seen. And with something as bright as a space station against something as dark as the night sky, the glare effect, as well as the 120 kilometers of atmosphere between the observer and the space station, make it even harder to see detail. And finally, like I said, I was trying to err on the side of not being able to see it. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>________________</p><p>Repent! Repent! The technological singularity is coming!</p> </div>

 

[Boris_Badenov]

Looked for Genesis-1 Saturday night, Sunday night & this morning, again without any luck<img src="/images/icons/tongue.gif" /><br />I have the track plot from HeavensAbove.com, this time<img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /> I’ll find it for sure tomorrow<img src="/images/icons/cool.gif" /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#993300"><span class="body"><font size="2" color="#3366ff"><div align="center">. </div><div align="center">Never roll in the mud with a pig. You'll both get dirty & the pig likes it.</div></font></span></font> </div>

 

[Boris_Badenov]

I still have not had any luck with Genesis-1. From my location sightings have been available both in the evening & the morning. Starting tomarrow it will only be visable in the evening when the albedo is from 5 to 7, it's been tough but I not giving up!!! <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#993300"><span class="body"><font size="2" color="#3366ff"><div align="center">. </div><div align="center">Never roll in the mud with a pig. You'll both get dirty & the pig likes it.</div></font></span></font> </div>

 

[hungrrrry1]

I saw it from the suburbs of montreal...as you can imagine, you don't have a crisp deep view of the stars with all the lights of the city and burbs but the brightest stars and planets do stand out well enough and my fiancee and I were in the back"yard" have a glass of wine and enjoying the august night air when the ISS came from just a small prick of light I just happened to notice and we watched it grow in intensity as it passed over...it seemed much faster than some satalite you see at night but I assume they must be higher in orbit. The ISS became the bright object in the sky at that moment. I don't remember the moon being in the sky nor was venus so it was quite brilliant being over Montreal

 

[hungrrrry1]

ok i think the whole space elevator thing is just ridiculous but i'll go with the rest of it

 

[Boris_Badenov]

Congrats on your sighting<img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" />, it is only in view for about 4 minutes, so it does zip along pretty quickly. <br /> It has been raining here for a couple of days so I have not been looking. Genesis-1 will only be visable in the early evening for the next few days & the albedo is so low at that time I not hoping for any luck there. But the ISS is coming back into view on th 9th, I look forward to many more sightings of it since it is so bright. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#993300"><span class="body"><font size="2" color="#3366ff"><div align="center">. </div><div align="center">Never roll in the mud with a pig. You'll both get dirty & the pig likes it.</div></font></span></font> </div>

 

[MeteorWayne]

Finally got up to see the "new" ISS this morning in early twilight. It was brighter than Heavens-Above prediction in the beginning, at least mag -1.5 vs -0.2 prediction. This was a view as it rose in the NW. Toward the end, after max altitude, (~ 51 deg NNE) the 0.2 was correct.<br />It was stunningly bright against the darker NW sky.<br />I look forward to when it appears in the evening so I can amaze my friends, and startle my enemies <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /><br /><br />MW <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>

 

[MeteorWayne]

I've now seen it twice in the evening, and there is a vast difference.<br /> Tonight's pass from 10 degrees in the west to 31 degrees NNW, into the earth's shadow in the NE is typical of what I have seen.<br />Heavens-above predicted +0.6 magnitude, which was correct at peak altitude. However at about 20 degrees above the NW horizon, it was AT LEAST Magnitude -4, and possibly brighter, since it was behind some trees at the time.<br />I urge everyone to take a look, it now rivals Iridium Flares in brightness! Not for the whole path, but when those solar panels line up, it is awesome.<br /><br />This also explains a photo that was in Forces of Nature showing what looked like an Iridium. I now understand since this is at least 40 times the brightness of the prediction at it's brightest. (4 magnitudes) <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>