Topic: Global Satellite Tracker

[Clive]

The 2008 "ISS Marathon" gets underway this week when the  International Space Station spends three days (May 21-23) in  almost-constant sunlight. Sky watchers in Europe and North America can see the  bright spaceship gliding overhead two to four times each night.  The ISS  is as bright as Venus or Jupiter, so even people in light-polluted cities can see it.  Please use our new and improved simple Satellite Tracker to find out when to look:

http://spaceweather.com/flybys/index_coords.php

[Simon]

Haywards Heath doesn't seem to exist!

[Clive]

Use the drop-down menu to find a nearby location.   

[Simon]

I did.  When should I duck?

[Clive]

They all have your name on them Simon.   

[Simon]

 

[GillE]

Are those times GMT or BST?

[sam]

you can always try http://www.heavens-above.com/ which gives great satellite tracking info and a google map to click on.

From the UK(ish) - I choose somewhere near the centre...  (note a more negative magnitude is brighter)

Date           Mag   Starts                   Max. altitude           Ends
19 May   -0.8   02:18:05   27   E    02:18:05   27   E    02:19:35   10   E
19 May   -2.4   03:49:24   14   W    03:51:46   85   N    03:54:41   10   E
19 May   -1.9   05:24:01   10   W    05:26:46   40   SSW   05:29:29   10   SE
20 May   -2.4   02:39:06   84   NW    02:39:09   85   N    02:42:03   10   E
20 May   -2.5   04:11:22   10   W    04:14:14   72   SSW   04:17:07   10   ESE
21 May   -0.1   01:28:38   17   E    01:28:38   17   E    01:29:26   10   E
21 May   -2.4   02:59:56   22   W    03:01:38   85   N    03:04:32   10   E
21 May   -2.0   04:33:52   10   W    04:36:37   41   SSW   04:39:21   10   SE
22 May   -1.9   00:11:17   10   SW    00:14:01   39   SSE   00:16:45   10   E
22 May   -2.5   03:21:11   10   W    03:24:05   73   SSW   03:26:57   10   ESE
22 May   -1.0   04:56:34   10   W    04:58:51   21   SSW   05:01:06   10   SSE
22 May   -0.9   22:59:26   10   SSW   23:01:37   19   SE    23:03:48   10   E
23 May   -2.5   00:33:28   10   WSW   00:36:21   69   SSE   00:39:14   10   E
23 May   -2.4   02:08:32   10   W    02:11:26   85   N    02:14:20   10   E
23 May   -2.1   03:43:39   10   W    03:46:25   42   SSW   03:49:10   10   SE
23 May   -1.9   23:21:05   10   SW    23:23:48   38   SSE   23:26:31   10   E
24 May   -2.4   00:55:51   10   W    00:58:45   87   N    01:01:39   10   E
24 May   -1.8   02:30:57   10   W    02:33:09   46   W    02:33:09   46   W
24 May   -2.5   23:43:13   10   WSW   23:46:06   68   SSE   23:48:59   10   E
25 May   -2.4   01:18:16   10   W    01:21:11   84   N    01:22:39   26   E
25 May   0.0   02:53:23   10   W    02:53:57   14   W    02:53:57   14   W
25 May   -1.7   22:30:49   10   SW    22:33:31   37   SSE   22:36:14   10   E
26 May   -2.4   00:05:34   10   W    00:08:28   87   N    00:11:22   10   E
26 May   -2.5   01:40:40   10   W    01:43:34   76   SSW   01:43:36   75   S
26 May   -2.4   22:52:54   10   WSW   22:55:47   66   SSE   22:58:40   10   E
27 May   -2.4   00:27:57   10   W    00:30:52   84   N    00:33:17   14   E
27 May   -0.8   02:03:04   10   W    02:04:36   26   W    02:04:36   26   W
27 May   -2.4   23:15:13   10   W    23:18:07   88   N    23:21:01   10   E
28 May   -2.5   00:50:19   10   W    00:53:14   77   S    00:54:18   34   ESE
28 May   -2.3   23:37:35   10   W    23:40:29   83   N    23:43:23   10   E

[Clive]

Normally GMT Gill.  I tend to use the Heavens Above site Sam suggested too. 

[sam]

oh and a really cool image of the ISS can be seen: http://spaceweather.com/swpod2008/21may08/Ralf-Vandebergh1.jpg

[Clive]

It would be interesting to know the source of the photo.  A friend of mine took a spectacular video of the ISS and shuttle using just a 14" telescope.

[sam]

oh sorry Clive...

This is the view through a 10-inch Newtonian. Ralf Vandebergh took the picture on May 14th when the ISS appeared over his home in the Netherlands. As the bright spacecraft glided slowly overhead, "I tracked the ISS by hand using the telescope's 6x30 finderscope," he explains.

his email addy is currently on the front page of spaceweather.com

[sam]

so thats even smaller than your friends telescope, though I guess size isn't so much of an issue just coping with the brightness is probably more important. Any chance you friend stuck that video on youtube? or similar?

[Rik]

It would be interesting to know the source of the photo.  A friend of mine took a spectacular video of the ISS and shuttle using just a 14" telescope.

Most people use film or a CCD sensor at least. 

[Clive]

so thats even smaller than your friends telescope, though I guess size isn't so much of an issue just coping with the brightness is probably more important. Any chance you friend stuck that video on youtube? or similar?

I don't know but I told him he should when he e-mailed it to me some time back.  He's observing in Portugal at the moment but I will ask him when he returns.