Registered Member
I just watched the International Space Station pass overhead. I've watched it before, but this was the best and longest view I've had.
It came out of the SW and passed almost directly overhead towards the NE. It was supposed to be visible for 5 minutes but due to trees we could only see it for a little over 3 minutes. A good sighting. When we get moved to the farm we will have even better views.
The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little way past them into the impossible - Arthur C. Clarke
Charter Member
That's great
I have told this story before---but, here it is again.
The best sighting I have ever had of the space station was at night on a flight from Moscow to Nagoya, Japan. We were at about 40,000 feet. The space station was to our left and I was on the left side of the plane. It was the middle of the night and most people were sleeping--which avoided a crowd at the windows. We were both going in close to the same direction and the space station overtook us at a seemingly reduced speed, I had a wonderful unobstructed view for a period of minutes.
To add to the excitement, we were flying over Siberia at the time-----there is nothing to see over Siberia at night! You commonly fly for long periods of time and see only one lone electric light.
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity, an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty” ---Sir Winston Churchill
"Political extremism involves two prime ingredients: an excessively simple diagnosis of the world's ills, and a conviction that there are identifiable villains back of it all." ---John W. Gardner
“You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.” ---C. S. Lewis
Charter Member
^^^
Are you seeing just a bright point of light at 40,000 feet, or can you make out some details with unaided eyes?
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“You can vote your way into socialism, but you have to shoot your way out.” — Too fundamental to have an attribution
Charter Member
No---the image was "close" and I could easily see the structure of the space station as well as the solar panels.Originally Posted by wacojoe
The result of having no real atmosphere to peer through is, I think, key. There is none of the normal earth trash---including water vapor at that height.
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity, an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty” ---Sir Winston Churchill
"Political extremism involves two prime ingredients: an excessively simple diagnosis of the world's ills, and a conviction that there are identifiable villains back of it all." ---John W. Gardner
“You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.” ---C. S. Lewis
Charter Member
Outstanding!
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“You can vote your way into socialism, but you have to shoot your way out.” — Too fundamental to have an attribution
Registered Member
Very cool, Dave.
The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little way past them into the impossible - Arthur C. Clarke
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