International Space Station visible

Seanie M

The International Space Station is visible over Ireland until May 18th in the evening and night time skies. On most nights, it will pass twice overhead, and on some nights even 3 times.
It will be very bright most passes, almost blazing you could say, in the words of another lame source. That same source would also quote you a 1570 phone number to hear the times. But, if, like me, you can spend your money more wisely elsewhere, check out www.heavens-above.com for ACCURATE pass times, from any chosen location - absolutely free!

Also, at the time I am posting this, there is an aurora warning. Don't know how long it will last, but I saw it last night (Saturday), and it was nice.
Discussions on this to keep you updated are on www.irishastronomy.org.

Enjoy - and wrap up warm!

Seanie.

adharc

Thanks for the Heavens above site. Great and what I've been looking for for some time.

Seanie M

adharc wrote:

Thanks for the Heavens above site. Great and what I've been looking for for some time.

No problem. It is a fantastic site. Almost anything you would want to check out for prior to going out observing is there. Look in the Comet Machholz section night to night to see where Machholz is, and then try and spot it with your binoculars or telescope.

There is also a Whole Sky Chart there. It allows you to choose your date and time when you want to see what the sky looks like at any choosen time.

Seanie.

Victor

http://www.rte.ie/news/2005/0511/space.html

Space station to be visible from Ireland
11 May 2005 11:01

The International Space Station is to be the brightest object visible to the naked eye in Irish skies every night this week until next Sunday.

Astronomy Ireland spokesman David Moore said the station would be almost overhead as it passes 360km above the country.

Mr Moore said that everyone on the island of Ireland would be able to see it at the same time.

He said the ISS would appear very high in the sky as a very bright star-like object crossing the sky from right to left.

"from right to left" - what if I turn around?

Orion

Seanie M wrote:

almost blazing you could say, in the words of another lame source.
Seanie.

LOL

oneweb

I'm no astronomer but eh, from which right to which left?

(Damn, beaten to it already!)

shane0312

I was out my back garden last night and saw it. It was something else!! it must be moving at an incredible speed.

The Iridium flare was also worth looking at, thanks for the heads up Seanie.

Hal1

Has anyone seen it? and how fast/slow does it move. I heard that it was getting old and some talk about it being taken out of service.

Orion

I saw it on Saturday (naked eye). It fairly zoomed past Polaris.

At least I assume it was the ISS anyway

mike65

Its takes about 90-100 seconds on most passes I think. Though can be somewhat longer if a full arc of the sky.

Mike.

Valentia

Just saw it. It was going from right to left tho'

ghostchant

yeah i just saw it there a minute ago

Seanie M

Hal1 wrote:

Has anyone seen it? and how fast/slow does it move. I heard that it was getting old and some talk about it being taken out of service.

Hal,
I don't know the exact figure, but the majority of the satellites up there orbit Earth at 17,500mph.

And I think it was the Hubble Space Telescope you heard about being taken out of service. Which is still possible, but is being re-considered.

Seanie.

Seanie M

shane0312 wrote:

The Iridium flare was also worth looking at, thanks for the heads up Seanie.

More than welcome Shane...

mimix

It just passed Limerick bloody fantastic -0.6 mag brightest so far for here, the brightest will be Saturday at 22:01.

Flukey

I've often seen it. It is very obvious, compared to other satellites that we see. Sometimes you'll happen to see one buy chance, that otherwise would have gone unnoticed. The ISS is hard to mistake. Heavens Above is a great site and its predictions for the ISS are always very accurate.

ISAW

Seanie M wrote:

The International Space Station is visible over Ireland until May 18th in the evening and night time skies. ...
check out www.heavens-above.com for ACCURATE pass times, from any chosen location - absolutely free!

The site was originally a german site with a huge database of satellites (including spy satellites). That was about ten years ago. With three of the keplerian elements you can usually work out the rest through constant observation.

anyway it is a great site. I particularly enjoy the position of the Voyager and Pioneer spaceships in relation to the solar system. I would like a graphic of how our solar sysytem is in relation to the galactic core. There are also the flying triangles i.e. three ships in a triangle of about three to five degrees spread (three degrees are the two big knuckles on your fist at arms length and five if you include the next knuckle).

Also, at the time I am posting this, there is an aurora warning. Don't know how long it will last, but I saw it last night (Saturday), and it was nice.
Discussions on this to keep you updated are on www.irishastronomy.org.

There is also a site on this. Hold on Ill check! Yep http://www.spaceweather.com/

amazing to think we are only observing the most important star for less than a century and only on all sides at once for less than a decade. when people think of stargasing they rarely consider the daytime sky but solar observing is another large field.

For news I find the heuston chronicle site ( website of newspaper in city nearest to NASA) or spacedaily usefull. Sadly for the others NASA excels in publicity and ESA and RSA. Japs, Brazil etc. are left far behind. The pathfinder CD and the current reports on mars express spirit opportunity and Cassinni huygens are grreat sites. I expect a mission pack like pathfinder will be compiled.

hamster

Yep... just to chip in and say that the last week has been the best stretch yet for me to see the ISS this year. The weather has been kind every night since last Saturday bar Friday night... and tonight looks good too!

Flukey

The Jupiter and Moon conjunction last night was very nice. It was cloudy here in Dublin, but when I went out to look, they were there in a lovely clear spot making them easy to view.

hamster

Flukey wrote:

The Jupiter and Moon conjunction last night was very nice. It was cloudy here in Dublin, but when I went out to look, they were there in a lovely clear spot making them easy to view.

Yep, I nearly missed it. I had forgotten about it until someone asked me what the star was. Pretty damn close alright... and I had that circular window to see it. Hmmm.. must have been around half ten last night.

Flukey

hamster wrote:

someone asked me what the star was.

A common question when it comes to Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. It is great as astronomers to be able to tell people what they are really looking at. They are usually surprised and amazed at what it is when they are told.