I just watched the International Space Station pass over my home

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Kildonan

Kildonan

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Feb 6, 2003
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Have you done this?
The ISS passed over Brisbane at 10 to 6 and I had three generations of my family view its transit across my skyline. Just think of the personnel aboard (currently 6 crew) 400 km above the surface of the Earth travelling at over 26,000 kph. It took less than 10 min from horizon to horizon from my perspective.
 
From any given point, there's usually around one really good pass every couple of months at a reasonable time. I still have a look once a year perhaps and set a reminder on my phone calendar.

Look up 'heavensabove set location', go to that site and set your location, go to the heavensabove homepage, and select ISS. That'll bring you to a table of passes for the current month, and you can skip ahead.

I don't bother if it'll be low in the sky, early morning (it's not worth getting up at 5AM for this) or if the magnitude will be 'greater' than -2.5. A really good pass is approx magnitude -3.4 - when that happens, it's brighter than any star or planet.

If it doesn't appear at the predicted second, don't worry, just keep looking in the predicted direction and (as if by magic) suddenly you'll notice a point of light moving slowly towards you.

Not going to pretend it's the most amazing sight in the world, but it's quite amusing. I recommend it.
 

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Kildonan said:
Have you done this?
The ISS passed over Brisbane at 10 to 6 and I had three generations of my family view its transit across my skyline. Just think of the personnel aboard (currently 6 crew) 400 km above the surface of the Earth travelling at over 26,000 kph. It took less than 10 min from horizon to horizon from my perspective.
Click to expand...
I've seen satellites pass over head. What does the Space Station look like?
 
Present Not Past said:
I've seen satellites pass over head. What does the Space Station look like?
Click to expand...

A lower larger star.

Seen it a few times at different heights.


I remember Keith Martyn saying on the Adelaide news to look SW at around 5pm and you might see the space shuttle taking off.
Sure enough , really low in the sky , giant fireball moving swiftly a minute or so after it launched.

Was like the ISS only larger and faster
 
Present Not Past said:
I've seen satellites pass over head. What does the Space Station look like?
Click to expand...
Like a white star (brightness varies) moving at the approximate pace of those planes that leave trails. It's weird to think that it's an object the size of a soccer pitch, with several people in it, whizzing by at thousands of kilometres per hour. What we see is the sun glinting off its huge solar panels.
 
NSWCROW said:
A lower larger star.

Seen it a few times at different heights.


I remember Keith Martyn saying on the Adelaide news to look SW at around 5pm and you might see the space shuttle taking off.
Sure enough , really low in the sky , giant fireball moving swiftly a minute or so after it launched.

Was like the ISS only larger and faster
Click to expand...
That would have been terrific!
 
Rotayjay said:
That would have been terrific!
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Yeah man , wasn't what i was expecting watching it come over the nw horizon , follow a curved flightpath ( the coolest part about it ) over my head heading ne.

Was on a mates roof at Morphett Vale.
 
A fella I follow on instagram and Facebook who takes pics with his SLR/telescope set up got a shot of the ISS passing between us and the sun.


IMG_6734.JPG


Some of his other shots are fantastic. Well worth a follow. Search "Dylan O'Donnell".
 

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HolyWars said:
Heavens Above is the perfect site for ISS passes. Viewed it many times, including using my 202 mm dobsonian to manually track it (requires extremely steady hands). Am able to resolve the solar arrays too.

http://www.heavens-above.com/
Click to expand...
Great for Iridium flares also. They put on a special show and more frequent.
 
Forget the mansions and the millions of dollars, now I'm really jealous...

www.abc.net.au

Tom Cruise to star in movie shot in space, NASA confirms

Fewer than 250 people have been on the International Space Station but Mission Impossible actor Tom Cruise looks set to become one of them, in part to "inspire a new generation of engineers and scientists".
www.abc.net.au www.abc.net.au
 
10 degrees and 13 degrees means low in the sky, right?

Sighting times for Melbourne....apparently

151261330_10164702800270548_1428264038561852682_n.jpg
 
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So, the space station just looks like a star flying across the sky, right? I'm pretty sure I saw it the other morning.

Here's a trivia question that'll make you a hoot at parties: :tongueoutv1: Ask people how many men have walked on moon, and to name as many as they can.
It really surprises me how many people have no idea, even older people. Most people I've asked said that 2 people have walked on the moon, and they can only name Armstrong
 
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Strapping Young Lad said:
A fella I follow on instagram and Facebook who takes pics with his SLR/telescope set up got a shot of the ISS passing between us and the sun.


View attachment 371458


Some of his other shots are fantastic. Well worth a follow. Search "Dylan O'Donnell".
Click to expand...
Has he seen any anomalies/UFO's yet? There are many strange things seen up there through amateur telescopes.
 
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