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Copyright 2009 Glen Ward and Starry Mirror

The

TM

Astronomy From West Virginia

NOW IS A GREAT TIME TO VIEW THE SPACE STATION !

BRIDGEPORT, WV (S-M) - Lately, we have been watching as the International Space Station flies over our observatory.  One night three weeks ago, we spotted a bright light overhead, heading northeast.  Immediately we knew that this was surely the station, and a quick search of the Internet confirmed that this was the case.  Since then, we have seen the station many times, and have shown it to others when it has gone over.

 

The station can be seen easily with the naked eye, and it is visible for as long as seven minutes at a time.  Predictions from an Internet service can tell us when the station will fly over any location on Earth, and sometimes it will make four visible passes in a single night - two in the evening, and two in the morning.

 

It is safe to say that many have seen the station and not realized what they were seeing.  On a good pass, the station will go right overhead, and will look as bright as the landing light on a helicopter.

 

When the Space Shuttle is docked to the station, it will appear even brighter.  It is possible when the Shuttle is approaching the station to see it following behind.  The link below gives sighting opportunities for both the station and Shuttle.

 

The best web site to use for visibility predictions is http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/realdata/sightings/ .  The menu on the left will let you select your country, and you can go from there.  Once your state and city is entered, the server will generate a list of visible passes.  The directions where each pass begins and ends are given, as is the maximum altitude the station will reach from your perspective.  It is best to look only for passes at least 35 degrees high.  We've found that lower passes are often not visible at all.  - GW

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In this long exposure taken July 4 2009, the International Space Station is the line crossing bottom, while the dotted line at right is an airplane.  Glen Ward photo