Space Cadets! Rise and shine for ISS passes
The forecast isn't perfect, but we've got a good shot at clear skies for two fine passes by the International Space Station in the next few days. All you need is a willingness to roll out of bed earlier than anyone should have to on a weekend, or a Monday morning.
UPDATE at 5:15 p.m. Friday: Actually, the Saturday morning forecast has deteriorated. They're calling for snow or rain before noon. Too bad. Monday still looks good. Earlier post follows.
The ISS is brighter than ever these days, thanks to the shiny new Columbus module transported to the station this month by astronauts aboard the space shuttle Atlantis, and new solar panels and radiators added in other recent flights. Here's a cool video, shot by amateurs from the ground, of Atlantis approaching the station.
And here, speeded up by time-lapse video, is how it looks to the naked eye.
Even at ranges of several hundred miles, the station can be nearly the brightest object in the night sky, except for the moon. It's not hard to see even in the fading light of dusk, or the brightening skies before dawn. And it's always a kick to watch it soar over Baltimore, with three crew members on board, at about 17,500 mph. So much money spent; so few people paying any attention.
The ISS is visible early every morning for the next week, but most of the flyovers appear low on our horizons, making them difficult, or inconvenient to watch. But two will be especially bright, and high over Maryland skies.
Here are the specifics:
The first will occur on Saturday morning as the ISS cruises from the northern Gulf Coast, almost directly over Baltimore, then on up the East Coast to Boston and Nova Scotia.
Look for the station to appear over the southwest horizon at about 6:10 a.m. Watch for a steady, bright, star-like object climbing high into the sky, reaching a point almost directly overhead at 6:12 a.m. (If it blinks, has multiple or colored lights, it's an airplane. Keep looking.)
It will have an apparent magnitude, or bightness, of minus-2.4 - about that of the planet Jupiter. From its zenith, the ISS will slip off toward the northeast, disappearing at 6:15 a.m.
The next best pass will come early Monday morning, with the station on a trajectory almost identical to Saturday's, except nearly an hour earlier. (I know, it's tough on a Monday morning, too. )
Watch for the ISS to appear abruptly, already well above the southwestern horizon at 5:19 a.m. as it leaves the Earth's shadow and enters direct sunlight. It will quickly reach its highest point, about 74 degrees above the southeastern horizon, at 5:20 a.m. From there it will glide off toward the northeast, disappearing at 5:23 a.m.
Remember to stop back here after the show, leave a comment, and share the experience with the sleepyheads who passed it up.
Although the ISS looks like a bright dot to the naked eye, and even in binoculars, many amateur astronomers and satellite buffs using tracking software and telescopes have grabbed some impressive images of the station during passes like these. They give you a sense of what you're seeing. Here's an especially striking example.
