I have been checking the ISS visibility from the far north NSW coast recently and found sighting information for Monday 11th July around 5.48am. Now if If the very last shuttle STS135 is launched on Friday 8th as scheduled then we should have a really historic event overhead with the shuttle docked. I would like to contact our local media but can someone 1. Confirm the info from the ISS tracking website and 2. confirm that the ISS and shuttle together is bright enough to extract ourselves from our slumbers and warm beds. The Lunar eclipse was certainly worth it and many locals rose early to watch it. The pass should last about 5mins and looks like it will be visible in Sydney and Brisbane.
Saw the two docked streaking over the early morning sky right on schedule monday morning about 5.49 am. Brighter than venus but a bit cloudy. We will set up again on Sunday and Tuesday evening 5.45pm - 6.10pm. Visibility about 4mins. This is the last chance to view up here on the far north coast for anytime >1 minute.
Sounds good, many of us around Australia (and the world) are watching out for some bright passes to enjoy.
I have a -3.4 tomorrow night, but in the meantime I have a -1.0 tonight.
The STS-135 mission has been extended 1 day. Info from the Nasa web site indicates undocking on Sunday 18th July at 11.56pm CDT. This will be Monday 18th July 2.56pm EST.in Australia. Not sure how long undocking takes but will have to see if there are any visible passes for us.Landing of Atlantis is scheduled for 21st July CDT
The 1 day mission extension puts Adelaide in a favourable position tonight: the pass will happen around 50 minutes after undocking and final separation.
If they do their things on schedule, the ISS and Shuttle will be separated by around 3-6 seconds in time - the ISS leading.
This starts from the NW horizon at 18:59:30 heading S.
Dean
Last edited by deanm; 19-07-2011 at 11:27 AM.
Reason: get the time right!
Watching the live feed on NASA TV now. 26 minutes until undocking which will occur on the far side of orbit, and thus there will be no vision of it.
Then a fly around will involve Atlantis doing a loop around the ISS which will allow the Orbiter crew to take high-res images of parts of the ISS which have never been photographed.
Next flyover for Melbourne for Tuesday 19th July: 7:27:38pm WNW, Transit time: 7:30:43, Max elevation 31.8, Mag -2.4
Stephen - your Melbourne 7:27 PM flyby today (19.07.11) is the same orbit we see from Adelaide at 7 PM (local) - having undocked, the Shuttle and ISS will be separated by mere seconds.
hi guys,iv'e a visible pass due shortly 5.51pm -3 mag 68 deg elevation,that's from moonee beach east coast...check your times don't want to miss this one.
woo hoo !!!! the clouds have parted should be good....
Stephen - your Melbourne 7:27 PM flyby today (19.07.11) is the same orbit we see from Adelaide at 7 PM (local) - having undocked, the Shuttle and ISS will be separated by mere seconds.
Dean
sorry, Dean I should have qualified my info is from "Flyby": my iPhone app, so yours may be more accurate.
Been watching it live - fantastic vision! Why?? Because its cloudy in Melbourne! (Who'd have guessed??)
wow!!!! perfect clear skies and from the nw to the se it flew past a single point of light till about 15 deg either side of zenith and with my bino's was able to see 2 points of light very close side by side.the wife also seen and confirmed the sight she was stocked as well...
well the end of the shuttle i remember as a young teenager me and my brother sitting on the roof of our house 2 nights in a row watching flybys of the first launch and were amazed,then to see the shuttle on the last was something very special to me......
My brother rang about an hour ago to say to watch out for the shuttle as it was passing overhead soon ..... ah, think it was Brissy news. Zilch up here, alas.
Just got a glimpse in between the odd cloud in Canberra. Lasted less than a minute. ISS and space shuttle separated by a degree or two, with space shuttle in front. I would have sworn the space shuttle had a small tail like a comet - is this just my dodgy eyesight or has anyone heard of anything similar?
Grrrrr, cloudy as buggery in Melbourne. May have to drive North of Melb on Thursday night to find a clear spot.
Can anyone confirm the 7pm pass was only lit about 1/3 to half way?
The final scheduled pass of Atlantis, will be able to be seen from Melb, but for about 30sec to 1 min, due to sunlight.
I am going to scout for a spot to go to, for filming. But it looks like a minimum 2 hours drive north due to the weather, if needed.
Have put up for too long, with bad weather everytime a shuttle lands.
Can't miss this one. LOL!
Had a big turnout at our local look-out to wave the shuttle goodbye. Even a photo. Fantastic sight all the way from mercury under the southern cross and off to New Zealand about 5.50pm. Was able to show an overlay of the shuttle on google earth and how stellarium showed the path plus live Nasa HDTV. Everyone pleased to be part of this historic moment.
Raining in Sydney now.
