The sky is clear (here) and the ISS is due to appear about 17:40. Should be good! Check Heavens-Above or your satellite software for accurate times for your location...
I'm feeling quite crook with a cold ATM so it might be the full extent of my observing tonight. I hate being sick on clear nights even more than cloudy nights...
It was running 2 minutes late (according to Heavens Above) here but it was unbelievably bright, heading from south through east to the north, I was excited when HA suggested from my position it should pass right through the middle of a full moon, well it didnt, it passed about one moons diameter above the full moon but through binocs it was a magic view, I could even make out a vague shape to it, then, just as it approached the moon a high altitude jet heading east crossed it's path exactly as it passed over the moon, looked like it was going to crash in to it, the jet had four vapour trails coming off the engines. Would have been the most spectacular photo but I didnt have a camera in sight. Ah well, impressive memory anyway.
I missed seeig the ISS tonight by abotu 10 minutes, and a short time later when te Huble went overhead I was stuck in the drive through lane at the local McDonalds! I tried sticking my head out the window and looking upwards but to no avail.
Both ISS and HST will be brighter and higher from our local viewpoint here tonight (Friday) night, though clouds seem to be the forecast at present. Fingers crossed.
Saturday night could be even more interesting - according to Heavens Above the ISS loses about 3 magnitudes brightness as compared to tonight (drops form -0.7 to 2.5), but the ISS and HST should both be visible in the sky at the same time!
ISS 18:24:39 to 18:27:59 - max alt at 18:26:19 (only 14 deg alt though)
HST 18:21:59 to 18:27:37 - max alt at 18:26:17 (80 deg alt)
It was running 2 minutes late (according to Heavens Above) here but it was unbelievably bright, heading from south through east to the north, I was excited when HA suggested from my position it should pass right through the middle of a full moon, well it didnt, it passed about one moons diameter above the full moon but through binocs it was a magic view, I could even make out a vague shape to it, then, just as it approached the moon a high altitude jet heading east crossed it's path exactly as it passed over the moon, looked like it was going to crash in to it, the jet had four vapour trails coming off the engines. Would have been the most spectacular photo but I didnt have a camera in sight. Ah well, impressive memory anyway.
Sounds like a great sight! Gonna have the camera ready next time???
Yeap! I saw it last night and it was rather bright, got the wife out to have a squizz as well and she was impressed as well. Saw a bright meteorite not long after that which left a trail as well. Thats about all the observing I have done lately as welll...damm flu!!!
Looks like the orbit of the ISS has changed a bit since my first forecast. The latest TLE's have the ISS pass for tonight at mag -1.1 (for me) starting from about 18:00.
I was looking forward to it till I remembered its cloudy outside...
Last night (Friday) was the single best apparition of the ISS I have seen yet - it tracked fairly close to the zenith as it passed over us rising from the West through eventually to the far NE.
Maximum brightness went well above prediction (-0.7 was the prediction by heavens-above I think) and the ISS's brightness was much closer to that of Venus than to that of Sirius: estimating mag -2, and that was achieved without sudden flaring, but rather the ISS simply presented a good strong gradual growth in brightness. The naked eye visibilty was amazing and lasted I think about 6 minutes!
I continued watching as the ISS eventually passed behind a very low cloud bank far away in the NE, all the while I could not believe that it was still managing to catch and reflect sunlight at such a low angle!
We also observed the Hubble briefly (predicted mag 1.6) about 25 minutes later, but nearly missed it as it seemed to pass much higher than was predicted. It may have flared but I missed that part of it's path, we did not actually find it until it was past it's maximum altitude.
Roll on tonight - can't wait to see if both ISS & HST really will be visible in the northern sky at the same time!
Check Heavens-Above or your satellite software for accurate times for your location...
I hate being sick on clear nights even more than cloudy nights...
