[Eye On The Left]

"The International Space Station (ISS) is a research facility currently being assembled in space.
The on-orbit assembly of ISS began in 1998. The space station is in a low Earth orbit and can be seen from Earth with the naked eye:
it has an altitude of approximately 350 km (217 mi)[1] above the surface of the Earth, and travels at an average speed of 27,700 km
(17,210 statute miles) per hour [roughly 4.5 miles per second!], completing 15.77 orbits per day."[it takes the ISS about 90 min to go once around the Earth]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Space_Station

How big is the International Space Station?
"The complete ISS will be over 100meters [~300 feet] long and more than 70meters [~210 feet] wide.
For comparison, the space shuttles are about 38meters [~100 feet] long.
A shuttle would stretch from home plate to second base on a baseball diamond
and the Space Station would reach from home plate all the way to the outfield walls.
The inside of the Station, when complete, will have a volume roughly equal to that of three jumbo jets.
The Space Station pieces will be launched into orbit over the course of more than 40 missions,
during which they will be assembled like a giant LEGO space project."
http://www.canadainspace.ca/spacefacts_fact.php?item[0]=fact&item[1]=lesson&sectionName=facts&sectionID=1&topicID=-1&topicIdentifier=-1&topicAbbreviation=spaceStn&ID=139&factNumber=7&factNo=8&nextID=138

[econjack]

The short video is absolutely amazing!

[theFIRMbss]

Also in the sky,
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday Mars
will pass in front of

the Beehive cluster
in Cancer. Mars if very
pumpkin orange now.

The Beehive cluster
has mostly young, blue-white stars.
It should be something!

[RightWhale]

See if you can see this recent addition:

The Russian Progress M-64 cargo spacecraft has successfully docked with the International Space Station (ISS), a Mission Control spokesman said on Saturday. The spacecraft docked at 1:39 a.m. Moscow time (21.39 GMT Friday) and delivered more than 2.3 tons of fuel, food, water, and other supplies to the ISS.

http://www.spacedaily.com/

[omega4412]

Another good source for when satellites will be visible is http://www.heavens-above.com/.

You can put in lat and long and get predictions for your exact location. (More important for Iridium flares than
for the space station.)

[Domandred]

Oh cool on the 21st I have two flyovers between dark and bedtime at -1.3 and -1.6 magnitudes. 22nd though is best at -3.0 magnitude, only one flyby there though before bed.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks. :’) KD, pingworthy?

[toldyou]

PING!

[coop71]

This is a week late, but thanks for the ISS info! I tried for 4 nights and finally got a good shot of it - this was last night over Greensboro, NC. Again, thanks since without your post, I never would have known about it!