ISS Passing over Ireland tonight - what time?

Ghost Train

Sky over Dublin looks clear enough for this, nice moon too, must go have a look in a minute

Dave!

Ghost Train wrote: »

Sky over Dublin looks clear enough for this, nice moon too, must go have a look in a minute

any joy? 5 mins too late for me

I'll catch the next one, alarm is set, and the sky is clear enough

Quick question: do we want high or low magnitude? ie. is visibility better when magnitude is -3.2 or -1.8?

Bruthal

Just seen it go over a minute or 2 ago.

Bruthal

Dave! wrote: »

any joy? 5 mins too late for me

I'll catch the next one, alarm is set, and the sky is clear enough

Quick question: do we want high or low magnitude? ie. is visibility better when magnitude is -3.2 or -1.8?

The more minus the mag brighter
-3.2 is brighter than -1.8

Sun is mag -26 or so, moon is -12.

Ghost Train

Dave! wrote: »

any joy? 5 mins too late for me

I'll catch the next one, alarm is set, and the sky is clear enough

Quick question: do we want high or low magnitude? ie. is visibility better when magnitude is -3.2 or -1.8?

yes, pretty clear, sky a little bright so next pass after half six might be as good if the sky is still clear but will be lower in sky so hard to know

Bruthal

looks like it will be in the northern sky at the 18:43 passing, west to east but north of us this time. Or right overhead.

Bruthal

Actually its further south its going to be, so lower in the sky, and a lot less bright, but at least it will be dark out.

NoQuarter

http://www.n2yo.com/?s=25544

You can all track the ISS in real time here. Great site.


On a side note, is the ISS orbiting against the turn of the earth?

Bruthal

NoQuarter wrote: »

http://www.n2yo.com/?s=25544

You can all track the ISS in real time here. Great site.


On a side note, is the ISS orbiting against the turn of the earth?

Its moving in the same direction as the earths rotation.

NoQuarter

So its moving much faster than the earths rotation then??

Bruthal

Yes it is, at the equator earths rotation speed is about 1000mph, the ISS moves at about 16,000mph. It does around 15 orbits a day.
Good link you put up there

Bruthal

Just seen it now, it went right across the face of the moon from my viewing point in navan.

NoQuarter

Seen it myself, skimmed off the top of the moon for me just south of dublin city centre. That was a great clear pass.


Beeker, those charts you put up, where are they from because the ISS went between the moon and jupiter for me just there.

EDIT: was looking at the wrong chart, yeah those charts are great in that case, was exactly right!

Bruthal

Beeker wrote: »

Think im after leavin my lights on:)

Bruthal

NoQuarter wrote: »

Seen it myself, skimmed off the top of the moon for me just south of dublin city centre. That was a great clear pass.


Beeker, those charts you put up, where are they from because the ISS went between the moon and jupiter for me just there.

EDIT: was looking at the wrong chart, yeah those charts are great in that case, was exactly right!

Yes was doing the same myself, the second set has it between the moon and jupiter, so above the moon which would be right for waterford area.

Dave!

Saw it

Bruthal

Its mad when you think it was over the sea probably 300 miles south of ireland on this pass at its closest.

NoQuarter

robbie7730 wrote: »

Its mad when you think it was over the sea probably 300 miles south of ireland on this pass at its closest.

Yeah the last time i seen it i looked at its path on the link i gave you and it was passing france and spain and i could still see it! Pretty amazing.

Beeker

NoQuarter wrote: »

Seen it myself, skimmed off the top of the moon for me just south of dublin city centre. That was a great clear pass.


Beeker, those charts you put up, where are they from because the ISS went between the moon and jupiter for me just there.

EDIT: was looking at the wrong chart, yeah those charts are great in that case, was exactly right!

Charts are available on http://www.heavens-above.com/
Click on the date for the pass you want to see. Of course they are the charts for Waterford, where I am but much the same for the rest of Ireland.

Beeker

robbie7730 wrote: »

Yes it is, at the equator earths rotation speed is about 1000mph, the ISS moves at about 16,000mph. It does around 15 orbits a day.
Good link you put up there

Not to be picky but the ISS actually travels at 17500mph and orbits 16 times a day:)

Beeker

Todays passes - Sunday 9th January 2011.

17:32 to 17:38 West to East


2nd pass 19:08 to 19:10 West and vanishing in the Earths shadow to the south.

Bruthal

Beeker wrote: »

Not to be picky but the ISS actually travels at 17500mph and orbits 16 times a day:)

Yes i realise that, i did a quick in head calculation to give a roundabout figure

Dave!

17500mph?! :eek: Doesn't look that fast from the ground

Bruthal

Dave! wrote: »

17500mph?! :eek: Doesn't look that fast from the ground

A i`l have to get more picky myself now, its only going 17,240mph on average, so 260mph less than above, that explains it not looking as fast as you thought:D

Beeker

robbie7730 wrote: »

Yes i realise that, i did a quick in head calculation to give a roundabout figure

Cool!:) again sorry to be picky but I am very much the nerd when it comes to space travel:D

Dave!

Yeah that must be it, my sense of sight is so sharp that I can detect a 2% difference in velocity

Won't hear me arguing with a traffic cop though!

Bruthal

Beeker wrote: »

Cool!:) again sorry to be picky but I am very much the nerd when it comes to space travel:D

A your grand, it would of only took me a second to get the calculator up to give an accurate answer so i should of done:)

Bruthal

Dave! wrote: »

Yeah that must be it, my sense of sight is so sharp that I can detect a 2% difference in velocity

Won't hear me arguing with a traffic cop though!

When you consider it was over 300 miles from us viewing it and it was apparently moving as fast as a jet plane at high altitude would be moving, which is only 6 miles away, it gives a good idea of its speed. I was looking at the live position view on the notebook screen and to see it cross over france and into europe and it still easily viewable its amazing really.

Beeker

robbie7730 wrote: »

When you consider it was over 300 miles from us viewing it and it was apparently moving as fast as a jet plane at high altitude would be moving, which is only 6 miles away, it gives a good idea of its speed. I was looking at the live position view on the notebook screen and to see it cross over france and into europe and it still easily viewable its amazing really.

Its fantastic, it still takes my breath away every time I see it and I have been watching it for 10 years. Whats even better is the few days before and after the Shuttle docks to it, when you can see both following each other accross the sky.......Magical:)

Bruthal

Beeker wrote: »

Its fantastic, it still takes my breath away every time I see it and I have been watching it for 10 years. Whats even better is the few days before and after the Shuttle docks to it, when you can see both following each other accross the sky.......Magical:)

I have somehow managed to never seen that one myself so far.