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As the article says, passes of the ISS are fairly common and there is a web site that gives details but I don't have the link handy. I believe trying to point a telescope at such a fast moving object would be too difficult, however binoculars are quite useful. I've seen clear detail with a pair of 8x40s. The solar panels were quite distinct. I don't know about the amount of detail you can see in other spacecraft - I've never tried.
Meteor showers can be visible over a period of days to weeks, depending on the width of the debris 'cloud'. Of course each individual meteor is only visible for a second or so. The things to consider include: the rate of meteors, normally given as the zenith hourly rate (ZHR) which is the number an observer under dark skies would see if the radiant was at the zenith (straight overhead); where the radiant is (could be overhead, could be below the horizon); and how dark your skies are. Observing tends to involve sitting in a comfy chair and looking in the direction you expect to see the meteors. If you get into it you can actually collect useful information for the science community.
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