Satellites Whizzing by Overhead

[AEAJR]

Before I got into astronomy, about a year ago, I never noticed satellites going by overhead. :shrug:

Maybe it was that I did not know what to look for or did not understand what I was seeing. :question: More likely it is because I wasn't looking at the sky that much.

Now I notice. I was out last night and happen to be looking at a part of the sky and, there goes a satellite. :eyepop:

On a number of occasions I have had them pass through the field of view of my binoculars or my telescopes.:stargaze:

The other night I had two pass through my eyepiece FOV at the same time going in different directions. That was very cool and so unexpected. :jawdrop:

I even get e-mail notices of when the ISS will be going overhead. :rolleyes: As I get up to go outside to watch the little ISS dot traverse the sky my wife just smiles with that pitying smile that wives use on their husbands. :screwy:

Satellites! I didn't even know you could see them from the ground much less naked eye. :D

[Sato]

Have you been here? http://www.heavens-above.com/

[ChrisV]

I got the ISS Detector app (android). Shoes where and when? And pops up notices on your phone when there's one !!!

[markbakovic]

The very first time I looked through my crappy 2nd hand ebay refractor i was marveling at how good the view could be though a $30 scope (jewel box) when something bright streaked by. Thanks to the free-swinging (read: cheap as) alt-az mount I managed to hand track it to the horizon and was even more amazed at "the stuff that's out there" when I realised what it was. It's quite a revelation! I've also seen them cross paths and yep, that's stranger still. I wonder if it's also noteworthy because of the sense we get of their speed, I mean what else can you see that both is, and appears to be, going that fast...?

[doug mc]

Has anyone had a try at catching the ISS using a dob with a low power eyepiece. I could imagine that it is possible.

[Juno]

"I even get e-mail notices of when the ISS will be going overhead." Is that an app of some sort? sounds good, I'd like to be able to check the backyard when I know for certainty that the ISS will be passing over.

[AEAJR]

There are a number of sites that can tell you when the ISS will be visible. Here are 2. I find that this is a good way to get people interested in astronomy as well since they can see this on a predicted path at a predicted time. You see it naked eye but you can also track it with binoculars. I have never tried to get it in my scope.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwi75Mu8wdDQAhVCh1QKHVw-CLYQFggbMAA&url=https%3A%2F%2Fspotthestation.na sa.gov%2F&usg=AFQjCNEDGhFgA-GGO28BYXVKkAhVGtIAQw&bvm=bv.139782543,d.eWE

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwi75Mu8wdDQAhVCh1QKHVw-CLYQFggrMAI&url=http%3A%2F%2Fiss.astroviewer.ne t%2Fobservation.php&usg=AFQjCNEgl0p5zU35yPIgQ_tYaZ6U45K r5g&bvm=bv.139782543,d.eWE

[jamespierce]

Yes we regularly track the ISS with our 16" ... Depending on conditions and how high it is you'll clearly make out the shape. Even the HST shows as an elongated shape at higher power (200x). It helps that the Argo / Servocat can guide at the satellite rate if everything is setup right.