Viewing the ISS

[Leegsi]

I have managed to see the ISS with the Naked eye a few times just from happening to be looking in the sky when it went past.

I have now found a listing of when its viewable again ( http://spaceweather.com/flybys/state.php?country=UK )but is it possible to view through a scope or is it too fast?

[Doc]

Interesting site and very easy to use unlike heavens above.

[tinvek]

nice site, as said easier than heavens above for the first timer, doesn't give as much detail though or list all the visable passes but it's a another way of getting your location to enter and save in heavens above without any hassel

[Talitha]

I've tried viewing it with a scope but failed miserably didn't do too well.

[proflight2000]

The trick is to get a star programme like starry night which will allow you to view the ISS on route. Turn on its route line and see where in the sky she will pass then place your scope in that area. Wait 5 mins before the ISS is due above the horizon and then just keep looking.

[jgs001]

You can see some shape in a pair of binoculars, but you need to be able to track quite quickly. I know someone on here caught it on a webcam through a Dob. HA, if you click on the pass prediction will give you a star chart with the track overlaid showing you were to look.

[tinvek]

i've been thinking about this since i tried it using the c80 ed on a photo mount (not too bad, very instinctive like aiming a gun, if i tried it again id use the dslr live view on the back so i could aim easier though) and think i might have sussed an easier way out but i won't say any more till i've tried it.

you can always enter the data into a goto or eqmod mount but it has to be updated regularly as the ISS orbit gets modified quite fequently both deliberatly and by atmospheric drag.

if your going to try and track it by hand try practicing on airliners as they've a similar apparent speed across the sky and appear rather more often. if you wanted to try and get some images of it a laser pointer might actually help with tracking it rather than a normal or red dot finder but obviously don't practice on airliners with one.

[Leegsi]

Thanks for the tips.

I think I will try with a pair of binoculars tomorrow.

Also why does it list a sighting twice within 1 1/2 hours of each other?

[Dave]

90 minutes is the time it takes to go right round the earth. Staggering speed.

You can see the shape through a 90mm scope as long as you can track it. (not easy).

When you do manage to capture some webcam images, by capturing it as it passes through the field of view, you can produce something like this...

http://stargazerslounge.com/index.php/topic,35777.msg366410.html#msg366410

Taken with a 10" LX200. Hand guided and a ToUCam webcam.

There is software that should be able to track the scope on it, but I haven't mastered that yet.

Dave

[Leegsi]

That looks great