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Curry Chat => Talk About Anything Other Than Curry => Topic started by: DalPuri on April 21, 2012, 01:12 PM
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I've been outside watching the International Space Station flying overhead the past few nights.
You cant really miss it, its so bright.
It looks just like a plane but with no flashing lights. Equally as bright as Venus.
Even though the picture shows it passing over Devon, it should still be pretty high in the sky for most of the uk and not travelling low across the horizon like i initially thought ;)
Tonight should be a good one if the clouds stay away.
Begin 21:02:57 End 21:08:39 Duration 5:42 Brightness -2.1 mag
(http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/pics/a694c4e970ca2ac1fcb1d8bd6253a378.jpg)
Also, later on is the Lyrid Meteor Shower.
Because there is no moon it will be really easy to see lots of meteorites all emanating close to Vega.(as long as the clouds stay away ::)
Look towards vega (N.E ish)
There should be anything from 20-60 each hour.
The best time being an hour before dawn, roughly 4am. but you should start seeing them after midnight.
Good luck ;)
Frank.
(http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/pics/90a82086ae46ca7d6c14c8914daf7a13.jpg)
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It looks just like a plane but with no flashing lights. Equally as bright as Venus.
Many thanks for your very interesting post. I'll be outside, looking up, if it stays clear.
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Great post, thanks, I only saw one in the clear Somerset skies :( but also spotted Saturn in the South! :)
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Well,, I saw the full pass of the ISS last night. :)
Went to a friends house and we tried to capture it with his telescope and a cheap ccd webcam (first attempt at ISS) while he manually tracked it.
Unfortunately, he hadnt done his checks on the scope before hand so nothing was lined up. :P
But we will definitely try again as he managed to get an image on-screen albeit out of focus.
As usual, the clouds drew in just after 9pm and we had a thunderstorm here about midnight. :'(
I stayed up though, checking every hour and by 3am there was a break in the clouds.
I saw 11 meteorites in 40 mins before the clouds came back ;D
That was the first time ever after i dont know how many years that i've managed to see any astronomical event that wasn't hampered by the weather.
So i was pretty chuffed. ;D
Hopefully it will be clear tonight and i can pop outside again slightly earlier (yawn) about midnight.
Here is the link i used for the ISS passes.
http://iss.astroviewer.net/observation.php (http://iss.astroviewer.net/observation.php)
Dont do what i first did and just type your location in. You can write anything in the box,(e.g. Mickey Mouse) it makes no difference.
Zoom in on the map to your location and place the red cross there. Then type your location and apply.
Cheers, Frank. ;)
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Great post, thanks, I only saw one in the clear Somerset skies :( but also spotted Saturn in the South! :)
Once you know where to look, its quite easy to find your way around. Especially when using the Plough as a guide.
I saw Saturn too the other day for the first time using some cheap 10x magnification binoculars and managed to see some shape to it :D
(http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/pics/7d304d9e8556743f123e52f2d456a2a8.jpg)
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OK so I'm in NE Scotland and the rain is pissing down but if it breaks later will I be able to see it?
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OK so I'm in NE Scotland and the rain is pissing down but if it breaks later will I be able to see it?
Of course Stephen :)
It should still be high in the sky. Not quite overhead, but more or less ;)
You will just have a shorter view than people who live in the south of the UK.
Thats if you mean the ISS. On the other hand, if you're referring to the meteor shower, then the whole of the northern hemisphere can see that pretty clearly.
Cheers, Frank. ;)
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Very interesting that frank, im hoping for clear skies at 9.45 tonight for iss spotting
Cheers
W
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cheers Dal
I am going to have a look though it is still a little cloudy!
Steve
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Here is the link i used for the ISS passes.
http://iss.astroviewer.net/observation.php (http://iss.astroviewer.net/observation.php)
The site also links, under 'gadget', to a google tool showing the current position.
http://www.gmodules.com/ig/creator?synd=open&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.astroviewer.net%2Fgadgets%2Fiss%2Fiss-position.xml&lang=en (http://www.gmodules.com/ig/creator?synd=open&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.astroviewer.net%2Fgadgets%2Fiss%2Fiss-position.xml&lang=en)
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Managed a great view of it, clear skies around me so headed off to high ground. Well impressed!!
Thanks DP
W
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You're welcome everyone. Hope you get clear skies for the rest of the month ;) Raining here as usual ::)
Thanks George, i didn't see that. I had another tab open with this:
http://www.isstracker.com/ (http://www.isstracker.com/)
Same thing more or less.
Its one of those things. When you know the times and direction its easy to nip outside for a quick look. When i lived in Wimbledon i always had to go outside to watch Concorde fly overhead coming in to land each night just before 10pm :)
Unmistakable sound, like a Morris minor ;D Well, not that Concorde has a 1000cc engine, you know what i mean ;)
Poor old Concorde.
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Unfortunately I missed it. I also noticed that the closest it was to London, as at this evening 22 April was somewhere over France - which seems a long way off. If it was flying straight over London (in my case) would it appear directly overhead and be even more visible?
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I live in lancs and the ISS seemed fairly high, i put my location in the link dalpuri gave and it said the highest elevation would be 28 degrees. It came from below venus area ( the really bright star (planet obviously)) and came through the sky similar to an aeroplane but brighter and constant shine, it got to about the same height as venus as well!
W
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If it was flying straight over London (in my case) would it appear directly overhead and be even more visible?
I've only seen it for the first time over the past few days myself George. Each pass i've watched it's looked like its flying directly overhead when its actually over the channel. I'm in Mid Wales.
You'd get a longer and brighter view, but i don't thinks there's much in it.
I'll post some pics when me and my mate get the thing captured with the webcam and telescope.
Frank :)
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10 mins for the next pass :D
Date
23.04.2012 Begin 20:46:17 End 20:52:25 Duration 6:08 Brightness -2.8 mag
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10 mins for the next pass :D
Date
23.04.2012 Begin 20:46:17 End 20:52:25 Duration 6:08 Brightness -2.8 mag
Was good again, nice n clear