International Space Station to make bright passes over many parts of US tonight and in weeks ahead

SpaceWeather.com ^ | June 24, 2010

[ETL]

The International Space Station (ISS) is about to put on a remarkable show. For the next few days, the behemoth spacecraft will be in almost-constant sunlight. This means it will shine brightly in the night sky every single time it passes overhead. Some observers can see it 3, 4, even 5 times a night! [NOT likely -ETL]

There are three easy ways to prepare for this "ISS marathon." First, you can check our online Simple Satellite Tracker for viewing times. Second, if you have an iPhone, download the Simple Flybys app and your iPhone will guide you to the space station. Third, and finally, our flybys app is now available for Android phones, too!

[ETL]

The International Space Station (ISS) orbits Earth at about 18,000 miles per hour, or 5 miles per second. It goes around the Earth in approximately 90 minutes and can easily be seen from Earth by naked eye, assuming it passes over your part of the world at the right time of night (i.e., when it isn't in Earth's shadow).

Check the website heavens-above.com for visible pass information for your neck of the woods. See "Satellites" => "ISS" (you'll have to first register and provide your general location so that you can receive the proper pass schedule for your area).

The ISS appears as a bright white light (no blinking or colored lights). It moves across the sky at the apparent rate of a high-flying airplane. Passes range from about 1 minute to about 5 minutes in duration.

Note: The linked SpaceWeather.com visible pass info (See "Simple Satellite Tracker" above) is a lot easier to use but only provides pass info for very high (easy to see) ISS passes. -ETL

http://heavens-above.com/

[diverteach]

http://spaceflight1.nasa.gov/realdata/sightings/cities/skywatch.cgi?country=United+States

[ETL]

For observers along the east coast, there is a ISS pass coming up very soon, beginning about 9:35 (21:35) to 9:45PM (21:45), depending on your location. See below:

"The highlighted circle is the region where the satellite is at least 10° above your horizon. The size of the circle depends on the height of the satellite.

Solid part of orbit shows where the satellite is sunlit, and the dashed part where it is in the Earth's shadow and invisible."

_________________________________________________

Note: the pass is centered on my Manhattan, NY location, so imagine that the center of this 'circle of visibility' moves along the line shown (ie, with the ISS). -ETL

[ETL]

Thanks for the link.

[ETL]

FLORIDA should have an amazing pass beginning in about 5 minutes!! Look for a bright white light moving across the sky at the apparent rate of a high-flying airplane. No blinking or colored lights on the ISS.

[ETL]

ACTUALLY IN A MINUTE OR SO! IT’S NOW ABOUT 9:33 PM EDT.

[ETL]

...is anyone out there? surprisingly quiet for one of these threads. or has WW3 just broke out and I’m the only one who doesn’t know it? :)

[colinhester]

Caught it last summer or early fall(?)when the ISS was attached; the pass was almost 90deg. Had all the neighborhood kids out watching. Really cool when it went behind the earth’s shadow and just disappeared.....C

[Tatze]

Very cool. Just watched it fly across the sky. Thanks for the link!

[Vigilantcitizen]

That was cool. 3 min duration.

Near Marietta, ga.

[NonValueAdded]

Amazing, incredible, a must-see. I feel connected to the folks in the movie October Sky watching for Sputnik. Very bright tonight. I was worried the full moon would wash it out but not a chance. Right across the sky, through the handle of the Big Dipper, moving along at a good clip. Ausgezeichnet (that’s for you, Dr. von Braun)

[Bigg Red]

That was way cool. Thanks for posting. We just watched it here in Maryland.

[NonValueAdded]

we were all outside, looking up :)

[SnuffaBolshevik]

Same here, northern Maryland. Amazing.

[kanawa]

Good pass coming up for me...

11:13:25 pm WSW 11:15:51pm 67° -3.8 (very bright)

About 60 miles west of Toronto...clear sky

link

[mojo114]

Thanks for reminding me. We went outside and saw it.

[SuziQ]

Thanks for that heads up!! Our daughter and I went out to watch, and it came over within minutes! It was nice and bright, and we watched it for several minutes as it made its way just about 15 degrees off of straight up. We had an unencumbered view for half of the sky!

[ETL]

The next pass is due beginning between 11:08PM EDT and 11:18PM EDT *depending on your location*. Below are two charts for this next pass that I pulled up using two different locations (center of the circle). One is centered in Phoenix, Arizona, the other, my Manhattan, NY, location. You'll have to piece them together to figure out what you might see... or might NOT see.

OR just check with the "Simple Satellite Tracker"
(you just need to enter your zip code):
http://www.spaceweather.com/flybys/?PHPSESSID=8n3c5p423h68j1mitukb4kbrj6&PHPSESSID=cj8nuffq2h6oqueh8md94mb071

[ETL]

Here is the CURRENT position of the ISS, as of 10:21PM EDT:

If it doesn't update automatically, click on the Heavens-Above.com link below it.

http://heavens-above.com/

[Fantasywriter]

I can’t believe I SAW IT! It was so amazing. I had to go out on my bike anyway, and it was cloudy so I figured I’d miss it. Then all of a sudden There It Came!!! I jumped off and just stood there watching it. It was SO bright! Thank you so much for posting this—and I thank God I looked in the right direction at the right time. It was breathtaking!!