Saw the ISS tonight
04-02-22, 07:07 PM
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Saw the ISS tonight
It was bright as hell, a solid bright white light. The NASA website kind of confirmed what I saw heading NW to SE around 8:30 PM in the NYC area. It was much brighter than any satellite Ive ever seen. Pretty neat.
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04-03-22, 10:01 AM
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It also moves pretty fast.
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04-03-22, 10:08 AM
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Originally Posted by Steve B.
It was bright as hell, a solid bright white light. The NASA website kind of confirmed what I saw heading NW to SE around 8:30 PM in the NYC area. It was much brighter than any satellite Ive ever seen. Pretty neat.
The first time I saw it was from a third floor roof deck in Avalon, NJ. It came from the NW moving SE, so we got to watch it disappear over the Atlantic.
04-03-22, 11:07 AM
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Originally Posted by indyfabz
I’ve seen it 3 times over the years. Twice right over my house. One of the local news channels usually tells people when it will be visible in the area. Definitely a cool sight. It’s speed makes it distinguishable from a plane.
The first time I saw it was from a third floor roof deck in Avalon, NJ. It came from the NW moving SE, so we got to watch it disappear over the Atlantic.
The first time I saw it was from a third floor roof deck in Avalon, NJ. It came from the NW moving SE, so we got to watch it disappear over the Atlantic.
04-04-22, 08:27 AM
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Sign up for Spot the Station, you'll get email\text notification when it will be visible where live.
04-04-22, 10:48 AM
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That thing's pretty big, like 100 yards long, right? I wonder if it's extra bright like you saw if you happen to be where the sunlight bouncing off the solar panels lands on earth
04-04-22, 01:21 PM
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Originally Posted by horatio
It also moves pretty fast.
04-04-22, 02:17 PM
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Reminds me of the 'Falkenberg's Legion' series of military sci fi books. The warfare was kept mostly 'conventional', because they could quickly destroy any satellite by launching water into a contrary orbit, and it would be destroyed by a hail of extremely high velocity ice cubes
04-04-22, 05:38 PM
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Originally Posted by RubeRad
That thing's pretty big, like 100 yards long, right? I wonder if it's extra bright like you saw if you happen to be where the sunlight bouncing off the solar panels lands on earth
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04-04-22, 06:15 PM
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Here is another site
https://www.astroviewer.net/iss/en/observation.php
I am going to try to look tomorrow. I am in Philly.
https://www.astroviewer.net/iss/en/observation.php
I am going to try to look tomorrow. I am in Philly.
04-04-22, 08:02 PM
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I was out shooting night photos with a friend one night when somebody pointed overhead and said "the bright, fast one is the ISS."
04-05-22, 12:50 AM
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I have a place in West Texas, it’s a long way from civilization, and a hell of a drive from the highway. The altitude is high, and with no major cities within 100 miles, the night sky is clear. You can see the ISS and satellites in orbit moving across the sky.
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04-05-22, 08:56 AM
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Here's some cool links:
Heavens Above - great for visual satellite spotting all types (set the place and time and it generates a list of all visible craft). You can also set the magnitude (brightness) to compensate for how much light pollution exists in your area). Here's a list of the brighter satellites visible from Pittsburgh tonight:
It used to list Iridium satellite flares, back in the day. It also has some user-friendly astronomy charts for IDing the planets, comets, and asteroids (you'll need a telescope for these).
ISS Photo from Earth - Amazing Detail
Heavens Above - great for visual satellite spotting all types (set the place and time and it generates a list of all visible craft). You can also set the magnitude (brightness) to compensate for how much light pollution exists in your area). Here's a list of the brighter satellites visible from Pittsburgh tonight:
It used to list Iridium satellite flares, back in the day. It also has some user-friendly astronomy charts for IDing the planets, comets, and asteroids (you'll need a telescope for these).
ISS Photo from Earth - Amazing Detail
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04-05-22, 09:01 AM
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Originally Posted by Altair 4
04-05-22, 10:56 AM
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Originally Posted by Altair 4
Here's some cool links:
Heavens Above - great for visual satellite spotting all types (set the place and time and it generates a list of all visible craft). You can also set the magnitude (brightness) to compensate for how much light pollution exists in your area). Here's a list of the brighter satellites visible from Pittsburgh tonight:
It used to list Iridium satellite flares, back in the day. It also has some user-friendly astronomy charts for IDing the planets, comets, and asteroids (you'll need a telescope for these).
ISS Photo from Earth - Amazing Detail
Heavens Above - great for visual satellite spotting all types (set the place and time and it generates a list of all visible craft). You can also set the magnitude (brightness) to compensate for how much light pollution exists in your area). Here's a list of the brighter satellites visible from Pittsburgh tonight:
It used to list Iridium satellite flares, back in the day. It also has some user-friendly astronomy charts for IDing the planets, comets, and asteroids (you'll need a telescope for these).
ISS Photo from Earth - Amazing Detail
04-05-22, 03:44 PM
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You can also use software/apps like Stellarium or Sky Safari or Heavens Above (Stellarium is also available on the web; not sure about the others). I know Stellarium will show satellites, and I think the others might as well.
04-06-22, 09:11 AM
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Originally Posted by genec
Brightness ranges from 3.0 to 5.0... is "brighter" the higher number or the lower number? Is 3.0 brighter than 5.0? (thus easier to see...)
The same system is used for the brightness of the satellites. So ISS at -0.9 is way brighter than a satellite listed as 2.7. I like to check out the satellites that pass as nearly directly overhead as possible and then follow them dimming to nothing in the earth's shadow.
04-06-22, 09:12 AM
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Originally Posted by Kat12
You can also use software/apps like Stellarium or Sky Safari or Heavens Above (Stellarium is also available on the web; not sure about the others). I know Stellarium will show satellites, and I think the others might as well.
04-06-22, 09:22 AM
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Originally Posted by Altair 4
The lower the number, the brighter the object. If you look at the constellation of Orion, the three stars in the "belt" range from 1.62 to 2.13. Then look eastward from Orion and you'll see the brightest star in the current night sky, Sirius. It's magnitude is -1.09.
The same system is used for the brightness of the satellites. So ISS at -0.9 is way brighter than a satellite listed as 2.7. I like to check out the satellites that pass as nearly directly overhead as possible and then follow them dimming to nothing in the earth's shadow.
The same system is used for the brightness of the satellites. So ISS at -0.9 is way brighter than a satellite listed as 2.7. I like to check out the satellites that pass as nearly directly overhead as possible and then follow them dimming to nothing in the earth's shadow.
Yeah I figured out the lower number was brighter after playing with the settings for a bit. Had a bright quarter moon (or so) out last night, so not a great night for sat or star viewing... at least early on.
04-06-22, 09:33 AM
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There's an app you can get for your phone that will notify you ahead of time of when it's going to be passing over your location.
It's called ISS Spotter.
It's called ISS Spotter.
04-06-22, 09:55 AM
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I had a similar experience back in September when I saw a SpaceX rocket as I was out walking my neighborhood, mentioned here on one of the music threads:
Originally Posted by Deal4Fuji
^^^ as an aside, I thought I saw a comet, UFO or something definitely weird Wednesday night while walking the neighborhood. On days I don't ride I try to walk 3 miles, and it's usually dark and after dinner when I get out. We live close to an industrial airport and what I saw 1st looked like a jet coming in for a landing through thick clouds with a bright spotlight on the front, but I realized the wide light beam was trailing narrow point of origin, not leading it and it was moving too slow for something that low of an altitude. It took me several laps around the block before I remembered the SpaceX launch was Wed night and that had to be what I witnessed.
Good tune !
Good tune !
04-06-22, 10:43 AM
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ISS? Ionospheric Single Speed? (Spends most of its time coasting, has limited mobility options, certainly not a full cassette worth.) Does have NiteRider and the others beat for lighting. Overkill you'd think for a singe speed but I hear it manages to go pretty fast. Those astronauts must be hard as nails after six months of riding that thing!
04-06-22, 01:59 PM
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It's speed across the sky is similar to a passenger jet's movement. But brighter and no blinking lights. Comparable to Venus ( mag -4.1 max) and brighter than Jupiter (mag -2.8) , easily visible in the city, even if you can barely see a handful of stars.
The Heavens Above page will tell you how far away it is when it disappears from view. Often over 2000 km away, 1200 miles!
The coolest view, if the timing works out, is when it reaches the Earth's shadow and fades to red, then disappears.
The Heavens Above page will tell you how far away it is when it disappears from view. Often over 2000 km away, 1200 miles!
The coolest view, if the timing works out, is when it reaches the Earth's shadow and fades to red, then disappears.
Last edited by rm -rf; 04-06-22 at 02:02 PM.
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04-06-22, 08:50 PM
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Originally Posted by Deal4Fuji
I had a similar experience back in September when I saw a SpaceX rocket as I was out walking my neighborhood, mentioned here on one of the music threads:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pv01sSq44w
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pv01sSq44w
