International Space Station

[JDWolf]

So now the International Space Station has its new solar panels will it be brighter? I heard it could be as bright as Venus!

Also does anyone have any (free) software / website that will show were abouts it will be in the night sky? I'm assuming it travels faster than the stars across the night sky, so i take it looking at it through a scope is out of the question. Would it be easier to view with bins? Might have to get some if it is.

[geppetto]

Pop over to this site Jon all you need is there

and yes the ISS should be a lot brighter with the new panel

http://www.heavens-above.com/main.asp

[geppetto]

Forgot to mention Jon

You don't need scope or bins to see it, its very much a

naked eye object and handsome it is too traversing an inky black sky.

Once seen never forgotten 8)

[JDWolf]

thanks for the info

[Tinkerbell]

Lo Jon

Try this site < http://www.stoff.pl/ > the software Orbitron is very good and it is usefull for the other satellites as well.

[blinky]

So does the ISS pass over UK skies? I have had a look at a couple of real time tracking sites for it before but it never seemed to be near the UK!

[FLO]

I have been advised that StarryNight will automatically update the ISS statistics - including magnitude - and that we can expect a noticeable increase in magnitude.

I will know more Monday.

[FLO]

So does the ISS pass over UK skies? I have had a look at a couple of real time tracking sites for it before but it never seemed to be near the UK!

Just been checking my StarryNight PRO:

ISS rises slowly in the SW at 01.50 tonight.

It will be near its transit and under the Moon (7 degrees) in the South at 01.55 and 17 secs (see attached chart).

It'll be moving at a fair pace at this point!

Shortly after it will start to fall, gradually slowing until it sinks below the horizon in the East at 02.00.

Hope that helps.

BTW, have I mentioned that I sell this software

http://tinyurl.com/goj6u

[The Warthog]

It seems to me that the ISS changes its orbit from time to time. Heavens Above does a fairly good job of keeping up with it, though.

[FLO]

That must be the case for a number of satellites, large and small, as auto-updates seem quite frequent.

[Tinkerbell]

Try this link for a transit of the ISS past Tycho

< http://pictures.ed-morana.com/ISSTransits/ >

[Astroman]

The changes in orbit of satellites large and small are due to periodic adjustments of altitude, due to atmospheric drag. Each time the shuttle docs, it boosts ISS' orbit to compensate. This slows the orbit of the station and changes the ground track slightly. WH is right, Heavens-above.com does a great job of keeping track and providing accurate time predictions over selected locations.

[TheMightyKong]

This site can give you a 3-d idea of satellite orbits and show roughly when its over the country. Not too much use for finding it's position in the sky though.

[FLO]

Just returned from the talk at NLO by Roy Tucker. The ISS has increased in brightness so that whereas it was about as bright as Jupiter, it is now more like Venus.