 |
 | Home | Contact Us | FAQ | Search & Site Map | Link to Us |
 | Sign In | Join | Other 45 Sites in Network |
| HomeDiscussion GroupsSpace ScienceAstronomyAmateur AstronomySpace FlightSpace StationShuttleSpace HistorySpace PolicySETI SpaceKB.com Contact UsLink To UsSearch & Site Map |
Space Forum / Shuttle / October 2006Space Station sighting last night was awesome
OK people I need some help. I have seen the ISS many times come over my house the last few years. Last night the below viewing was unlike I have never seen before. The ISS was HUGE and much brighter than before. My questions is this. Was it because of the new truss addition or the time and angle? It came over right after sunset from the SouthWest. I have never seen it so bright. Was the new truss that big of an addition or was it because of the angle? It usually comes in from the NorthWest headed SouthEast This was the first time I watched it come in from the SW It was much bigger than Venus. Marietta Georgia ISS Wed Oct 18/07:56 PM 2minutes 83max elv 47 above SW 22 above NE > OK people I need some help. I have seen the ISS many times come over my > house the last few years. Last night the below viewing was unlike I have [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > > Was the new truss that big of an addition or was it because of the angle? Mainly the new solar panels?  Signatureth Its got to be the arrays I imagine, at the right angle, and at the right time after sunset or before sunrise, the angle has got to be able to reflect more light than the originals did. Brian SignatureBrian Gaff - briang1@blueyonder.co.uk Note:- In order to reduce spam, any email without 'Brian Gaff' >> OK people I need some help. I have seen the ISS many times come over my >> house the last few years. Last night the below viewing was unlike I have [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > > Mainly the new solar panels? hey, I'm from the caribbean and was amazed by the fact that you all can see this thing from where you live? must be kool huh? I live in the caribbean and Never saw anything like that before. Pretty interesting stuff! I also bet most ppl here dont even know there is a space station up there, lol. > hey, I'm from the caribbean and was amazed by the fact that you all can > see this thing from where you live? must be kool huh? I live in the > caribbean and Never saw anything like that before. Pretty interesting > stuff! I also bet most ppl here dont even know there is a space station > up there, lol. Well, there's nothing other than perhaps local light pollution preventing you from seeing it from where you are. On Mon, 23 Oct 2006 04:13:38 GMT, "Greg D. Moore \(Strider\)" <mooregr_deleteth1s@greenms.com> wrote: >> hey, I'm from the caribbean and was amazed by the fact that you all can >> see this thing from where you live? must be kool huh? I live in the [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] >Well, there's nothing other than perhaps local light pollution preventing >you from seeing it from where you are. I viewed an ISS pass last night (10/22/06) near Portland, Oregon (USA). The station showed up on schedule at 19:52 and at the expected brightness of about 0 apparent magnitude, 10 to 15 degrees above the western horizon. Then it slowly flared up to a magnitude of at least -10 or maybe -12! It was an intense bright actinic blue-white color. I have observed Iridium flares a dozen or so times in the past, up to a calculated magnitude -8, and this put them all to shame. It must have been the new solar panel. The flare lasted about 10 seconds and slowly faded back to magnitude 0 with a golden-yellow color. The station slowly moved across the sky to the north and faded out to a burnt cinderr, and finally darkness, a few minutes later. The entire visible pass lasted approximately two minutes and was easily the most spectacular man-made artifact I have ever seen in the night sky! If there was some way to predict ISS flares, I could win some bar bets!!! The cool thing was that my wife was along for the ride and I had time to describle the process of the flare as it was happening. I suspect the temporary arrangement of the solar arrays had something to do with this intense flare. The arrays cannot rotate exactly as they should, with one on the end of a truss and one center mounted on the Z truss. When the center mounted array is moved out to the end of the truss and the solar panel movement changes, will this amazing light show go away as things return to "normal"? I am definitely going to be watching in the near future! The only bummer is that Oregon weather does not permit visual observation for at least 5 months out of the year. The Other James Hello all, I often watch it "fly" over my location ( Bunbury/Western Australia ) as well as hear the radio transmissions ( when it's active ) John > On Mon, 23 Oct 2006 04:13:38 GMT, "Greg D. Moore \(Strider\)" > <mooregr_deleteth1s@greenms.com> wrote: [quoted text clipped - 38 lines] > > The Other James |
Reply to this Message |
 Sign In
 Join
 My Latest Posts My Monitored Threads My Blog My Photo Gallery My Profile My Homepage Start New Thread Enable EMail Alerts Rate this Thread
|
©2008 Advenet LLC Privacy Policy - Terms of Use
This website includes both content owned or controlled by Advenet as well as content owned or controlled by third parties.