ISS to buzz Baltimore on Sputnik's 50th
Space Cadets! You've been waiting for a nice pass by the International Space Station at a convenient evening hour. If the clouds part in time Thursday evening, this may be the one. And it comes on the 50th anniversary of the Oct. 4, 1957 launch of the world's first artificial Earth satellite - Sputnik 1.
Now, how can you resist stepping outside with the kids to watch this salute by the biggest (482,345 pounds) satellite ever constructed to orbit the planet, to the first (185 pounds)?
The forecast isn't perfect. We'll likely have clouds and fog in the morning, especially near the Bay. But they're calling it "partly cloudy" for the rest of the day. If they're right, that should be good enough. This should be a very bright, very high pass. If skies are clear, and you don't see this one, you need an appointment with the eye doctor.
Here's the scoop: Look for the ISS to appear in the southwest at 7:55 p.m. Thursday evening. It will look like a steady white star, moving briskly toward the northeast. If it has multiple lights, colored lights, or it it blinks, it's an airplane. Keep looking.
The station will appear to fly just west of Jupiter - the brightest star-like object in the southwestern sky in the evening this month - then climb toward the zenith (straight up). High overhead at 7:58 p.m., the ISS will fly straight through the bright stars of the Summer Triangle - south of Vega and Deneb, and north of Altair. At its highest over Maryland, it will be 218 miles above observers in Baltimore.
Then, at 7:59 p.m., just as the $100 billion contraption and its crew of three head out over the Atlantic and Long Island, it will vanish abruptly from sight. We can only see the ISS when it is in full sunlight. That's all reflected light you're watching. So, when it enters the Earth's shadow - the start of a 45-minute "night" on board the station - it disappears from view.
If you spot it, leave a comment here and report what you saw, and what it was like for you and those with you. Share the experience. If you miss this flyby, there's an other good one on Saturday evening. Watch this space.
Or, you can get your own flyby predictions - plus sky maps and much more - by going to the Heavens Above Web site, and punching in your location. Try it. You'll like it.
Comments
Just saw the space station go over Westminster and boy is it ever bright! Much brighter then before now that they have the new solar panels on. And it looks much closer.
Posted by: Diana | October 4, 2007 8:03 PM
I saw it! Just as you described, Frank. Thanks for the accurate and specific instructions. I could see it just two miles from the bright lights of downtown in Union Square, streaking southwest to northeast. It got brighter and brighter as it got to directly overhead and I felt like you could almost tell that it was more than just a little star the brighter it got (aside from the fact that it was moving so fast).
Posted by: Scott | October 4, 2007 8:05 PM
This evenings ISS flyby was enjoyed by our whole family. Our children enjoyed using your column to search the dark (and late) skies for the ISS and its crew.
Constantine (3yrs) reports: The yellow light went slow and fast. We looked with binoculars. How does the astronauts ride in it?
Lucia (5yrs) reports: We saw the space ship. The light was clean and not flashing. Why do they ride in the space ship? [And I wonder] how do they bounce around in space?
Mom and Dad really enjoyed the ISS flyby! Thank you for posting the heads up!
Posted by: A Mt Airy Family | October 4, 2007 8:09 PM
My wife and I saw the ISS for the first time - really exciting. Nice site - I'm afraid I got the tip from Bob Ryan - as I live near DC - but stumbled across this excellent blog.
Posted by: John | October 4, 2007 8:46 PM
Thanks everybody for the great reports. It was a VERY bright flyby, and a perfect night for watching it.
For Constantine: The astronauts ride up in a Russian rocket or the U.S. space shuttle and they stay for a really long time, sometimes six months or more. And they're weightless the whole time.
For Lucia: (Nice name - my Mom's middle name) Why do they ride up there? Lots of grownups ask the same question. Mostly it's to learn how to fly in space for a long time, so maybe some day they can go to Mars - VERY far away. Sometimes they do some science, too, and they take lots of pictures. They don't bounce around in space. They float inside their station, just like being under water, except they're in air and they can breathe.
For John: We forgive you. And welcome!
Posted by: frank roylance | October 4, 2007 9:42 PM