Sky show: Crescent moon, Venus and space station
Plan to be up before dawn Monday? Maybe the dog needs walking? Or perhaps you just have an early commute, or a date with your running shoes? Well, keep your eyes open. If skies stay clear early risers will be treated to a fine show by a crescent moon, the planet Venus and a bright, early pass by the International Space Station.
All three should be visible from urban settings, IF skies are clear. Sunrise isn't until 6:21 a.m.
Here's the deal: The moon and Venus will be up above the eastern horizon by 4:30 a.m. The moon will be easy enough to spot, and Venus will be the bright "star" just below and slightly to the left of the moon. Here's a sky map from Spaceweather.com
Then, watch for the International Space Station to emerge from the Earth's showdow and rise above the southern horizon at 5:12 a.m. It will be a very bright, steady white light, like a moving star or an aircraft (only without multiple lights or flashing strobes). It will move toward the northeast, climbing more than halfway from the southeastern horizon to the zenith (straight up) by 5:13 a.m.
The ISS will fly just above the constellation Orion, and very close to the moon and Venus before disappearing at 5:16 a.m.
Great show, if you can get out of bed for it. If you do, drop back here and describe what you saw for all the sleepyheads.
Comments
I watched the flyover from a rooftop deck in Butchers Hill. The sky was perfectly clear so I had a great view of the ISS, Orion, Venus and the moon. What a great show! I'm amazed that a manmade object can be seen in orbit with the naked eye. Either the ISS is quite large, or the reflection makes it appear so.
FR: Both.
Posted by: Doug | August 17, 2009 11:23 AM
Sorry I missed it...
To FR:
You can see man-made objects circling the earth almost any clould-less night...just look up more often.
FR: True. But only the brightest are visible in urban/suburban settings like Baltimore's. Many are hard to find when they pass low on the horizon. And few readers will bother with those at inconvenient hours. So I highlight only the best opportunities.
Posted by: Norm | August 23, 2009 7:15 AM
My parents were ecstatic to capture this spectacle. thank you for the explanation of the event. I tried to find out all day yesterday, what exactly it was.
Posted by: NotableM | September 3, 2009 9:14 AM