I Just Saw the Space Station and the Shuttle!

LED_Thrift

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Mar 30, 2005
Messages
1,874
Location
Northern NJ, USA
I just did something I've been trying to do for a few years. On the NASA website there is a 'Satelite Tracker' link which lets you plug in your zip code and tells you when the Space Station, the Space Shuttle [when it's in orbit], or other satelites will pass over your location.

I watch the Space Station pass overhead every once in a while, it is now brighter than Venus since they keep adding solar panels. I've seen the shuttle, which is not nearly as bright - it looks like a generic satelite overhead. I've observed them when the shuttle and station are linked, which is undoubtedly brighter, but you can't really notice any difference between them linked and the Space Station alone.

I've always wanted to see them slightly separated, which is what I just observed. You could see them both, they passed a given point about 30 seconds apart, the much brighter station following the shuttle in the same path. Since there are only two scheduled shuttle flights left, time was running out in my quest, and I feel lucky that I got to see them close together. The bucket list is one shorter.
 

LEDAdd1ct

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jul 4, 2007
Messages
3,557
Location
Hudson Valley
When I got home from my camping trip yesterday, my dad told me that his brother (my uncle) told him that there will be some special viewing opportunities coming up for the ISS! NASA has an absolutely excellent tracking tool which lets you pinpoint the location in the sky in which to look. I even managed to find my hometown on it! If you are in the United States, click here. If you are not, click here, and use the drop-down menu to select your country.

Good luck finding the ISS!
 

StarHalo

Flashaholic
Joined
Dec 4, 2007
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10,927
Location
California Republic
You'll know the ISS when you see it, it's much brighter than anything else in the sky. It looks like a helicopter searchlight roughly a mile away pointed right at you.
 

LEDAdd1ct

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jul 4, 2007
Messages
3,557
Location
Hudson Valley
I pulled up the table for my town last night, and saw it would be going by around two and four A.M. I meant to set my watch alarm, but passed out. I woke up this morning, thinking, "Hey, I wonder what time it is now?" I pulled out my super dim red AA Minimag and saw it was five minutes before four! It was super hazy outside, but after standing in the street for a minute in my shorts, I saw it go by overhead. It was humid and not crystal clear, and I don't have the best eyesight in the world, but it was neat.
 
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