Viewing the International Space Station

edited March 2009 in Chit chat
Over the last few nights I've seen the International Space Station several times as it flies over. It's well bright now, since the new solar panels were installed on it. At times it is brighter than Venus, and second only in brightness to the moon.

It isn't uniformly bright during a sighting, I've noticed. In the 5 minute sighting last night it was brighter than Venus for about a minute or so.

I love how it just fades away in the sky at the end.

Check out this site to get upcoming viewing times for your country/location (change the country drop-down list on the left):

http://spaceflight1.nasa.gov/realdata/sightings/

There's a couple of sightings tonight which should be viewable from most of the UK.
Post edited by Daren on

Comments

  • edited March 2009
    Looks to be too much cloud around for me tonight.
  • edited March 2009
    Thanks for that. Just watched it go over - clear as anything. First time I've ever seen anything like that, it was brilliant!
  • edited March 2009
    Thanks for that! :-)

    I'm gonna get my peepers out there tonight and scan the skies.
  • edited March 2009
    The sighting about 15 mins ago was pretty good. It really does get bright, doesn't it?
  • edited March 2009
    I haven't seen it, but I do sit in my back garden in the summer and see satellites, sometimes I see them "flare" when the sun hits them just so.

    years ago, on BBC Radio Brighton, they did an outside broadcast where some amateur radio users, talked to someone on the Space Shuttle who'd taken a transceiver for the purpose of talking to joe public back on earth.
  • edited March 2009
    A few years ago I saw the ISS with the Shuttle in trail, having just docked or undocked...
  • edited March 2009
    A couple of years ago a French guy took a great picture of the ISS and Shuttle transiting the Sun.
  • edited March 2009
    It was too rainy out last night for me to see anything ... will have another look-see tonight.
    JamesW wrote: »
    A couple of years ago a French guy took a great picture of the ISS and Shuttle transiting the Sun.

    Those are amazing pics!
  • edited March 2009
    what does that thing even do? is there a bar for space truckers or something?
  • edited March 2009
    mile wrote: »
    what does that thing even do? is there a bar for space truckers or something?

    I heard it was the last fully working arcade with all the good old coin-op machines ... and all the games are free ... I'd hope so, what with each trip up there costing millions.
  • edited March 2009
    Saw it tonight. It moves quickly doesn't it!

    I think he was having a laugh with you, I don't believe they are playing arcade games or enjoying drinks in the Space Truckers bar.

    Have just been asked the same question though, what exactly are they doing up there?

    S
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