Posted on 02/16/2008 6:21:57 PM PST by Names Ash Housewares
Can you interpret where I have highligted in bold? I think it means 10 degrees North West etc? Is that correct?
We saw it! It passed by @ 6:45. It was surprisingly bright. Thanks for the heads-up!
Can you interpret where I have highligted in bold? I think it means 10 degrees North West etc? Is that correct?
Thanks!
Wow, I don’t feel like I missed it anymore. Thanks so much for posting that and great shot!
Howdy, and you’re welcome.
I guess it should be said that the shot was taken September 19 of ‘05, but wanted to show that the station can be very easy to see, especially when pretty much overhead.
Some would be surprised at how many satellites they can see if they’re lucky enough to be in an area without a lot of light pollution. For around two and a half to three hours before and after sunset, you might even see a hundred going here and there. (The Iridium’s can look like any other yet sometimes flare into brilliance, almost like a jet with landing lights on).
I think it is 10 degrees off horizon in the NW at 17:46, 72 degrees off the horizon (overhead) at 17:49, and down to 10 degrees over the horizon at 17:52 in the SE part of the sky. 6 minute pass from horizon to horizon. Pass is NW to SE.
Thanks! Now I hope I can remember to go look. I have so many post it notes around for all the things I need to remember that I even forget to look at them. :-(
Now I have a place out in the country with fairly dark skies, and I still get out once in a while to watch. My best sighting was once when I actually saw two fairly dim satellites cross paths simulatneously in the field of my 7 x 50 binoculars. Space is getting too crowded.
That’s great! I was only 7 years-old back in 1957 but I remember my Dad taking me out in the backyard to see Sputnik. He was a pro-photographer then, and I still have his old Speed Graphic cameras.
Assuming you haven’t seen it already,(?) you might like this site:
I admit to being at a loss for “a CGS benchmark”. Was that a Coast Guard Station?
Those satellites you saw cross paths might have had 20 miles of height between them, who knows? But I agree it’s crowded up there. I’ve also seen a few cross paths. (I saw a couple of jet trails “converge” last fall. A strange feeling).
The mention of WWV and covering the lens for a moment reminded me of when I was reading about Apollo 13 a few years back, and found a site where I learned a few observatories, and amateurs, liked to follow the Apollo’s even headed towards the moon. On this link there’s mention of tracking a tumbling booster and covering the lens for timing purposes.
http://www.astr.ua.edu/keel/space/apollo.html
“CGS” = Coast & Geodetic Survey (Probably called something else by now). They were brass markers set into the ground. We found one in a country churchyard and did a few shots from there. The astronomers wanted a precise way of correlating the location of the photos in time and space. Actually I never got around to submitting mine, but I will never forget the first sight of Sputnik 2 sailing along, tumbling and slowly changing brightness just as predicted.
Cool, just came over a few minutes ago, quite a separation between them. I assume the brighter one trailing was the space station?
That is great news! You saw it for me, we got clouded in.
I would expect the station to be the brighter for sure.
FAA reports early morning flash in sky was meteor
SPOKANE, Wash.- Thousands of people in Northwest woke to a huge streaking flash in the sky early Tuesday morning. At around 5:30 a.m. KHQ began receiving reports of a bright flash in the sky. According to the Oregonian.com the Federal Aviation Administration, after talking to air traffic controllers, is reported the flash was a meteor.
Viewers began calling KHQ around 5:35 a.m. Tuesday to report what they saw. Those viewers called in from as far away as Clarkston, Lewiston, Republic, Wenatchee, Hayden and Troy, Idaho, and Missoula, Montana.
Various websites reported eyewitnesses all across the Northwest saying the flash looked like anything from summer lightning, a meteor, a rocket, a satellite, or just an exploding transformer. Several other viewers reported feeling a sonic boom moments after the flash in the sky.
Cool! Next interesting viewing is tomorrow with the lunar eclipse and the rogue satellite shootdown attempt. (Between like 6:00 and 9pm PST).
According to your other posting there is supposed to be a passing tonight at 6:08 p.m. It should be darker at that time so maybe I can see it tonight.
Not knowing when they were going to shoot down the satellite I thought maybe that was what had happened this morning and a piece of it went by.
Is there a more diffinate time for the shootdown as it is rather cold to be standing outside from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. :-) Also what is the direction I should look? My exact location is Pasco, Washington. Where are you?
ping
The satellite shoot down will be “Internet viewing only” for us I am afraid...they are intending to hit it way out over the Pacific (people on Maui may be able to see something). The eclipse is viewable for about a billion people...see:
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/space/2008-02-19-lunar-eclipse_N.htm
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