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A few moments with my eyes in space...........

Cazzie

Cazzie

SOH-CM-2024
I had the scope out observing Jupiter and the Moon this evening awaiting the ISS fly-over that was to to begin at 6:19 pm EDT.

I had to scrub my eyes when I first spied the ISS, it's quite bright. The trouble was, I was seeing two of them. I went in and got my younger son (elder and wife are in Greensboro for the Trans-Siberian Orchestra this evening). I asked if he saw two, he said yeah.

It turns out it was the Space Shuttle Atlantis, trailing along behind the ISS about 5° (approximately the distance between a clinched fist held at arm's length) at the same super speed.

After they disappeared around 6:25, I came in and dialed in the NASA site. Sure enough, the shuttle undocked at 4:53 am EDT this morning to prepare for a landing Friday morning at 9:44 am EDT at Kennedy Space Center.

I have been viewing the ISS for quite some time now, this is the first time I have seen it with the shuttle. The shuttle seemed as bright as the ISS. Maybe off by a fraction of a magnitude, but no doubt the shuttle, nothing else that man makes that moves in space is as fast as the ISS.

Hope one or two of you may have seen it in your arena. Needless to say, it was the epitome of my stellar observation this past year. They could give me tickets to three TSO concerts, i wouldn't give up the six minutes I had viewing those two man-made objects for any of them. :medals::ernae:

Caz
 
WOW! That is soooo awesome Cazz! Clearly not something you see every day! You are one lucky fella'!

Thanks for sharing!
 
That's cool, Cazz. I've seen that sight one time, some years ago. Two bright pin-points of light. Same situation - the Shuttle had un-docked a few hours ago.
 
I could see them both but no telescope for a close up. And boy do they disappear fast.

A friend said those 2 planes are gonna collide. I told him it was the ISS and the shuttle... no nav lights that we can see from down here. He wouldn't believe it. Oh well.
 
Thanks Caz and GT182 for that.

I have seen it once. It does cover the sky fast. I was wondering why the jet wasnt leaving a con trail, and come to find out, it was the ISS, lol..

Incredible how we can see them so clearly 'that' far away....




Bill
 
You must have caught a lucky break in the clouds, Caz...its been overcast all evening here.....gonna look for it again tomorrow night.
 
GT182 said:
I could see them both but no telescope for a close up. And boy do they disappear fast.

A friend said those 2 planes are gonna collide. I told him it was the ISS and the shuttle... no nav lights that we can see from down here. He wouldn't believe it. Oh well.
Click to expand...

They move too fast for any telescope anyhow GT, I only use binoculars for the ISS. This is a first time for me seeing the shuttle in space. I've witnessed two launches, but no landings.

The reason they disappear so fast is that they do not appear from horizon to horizon, but move out from under Earth's shadow and back into it, so five to six minutes is the maximum anyone is going to see either of them. They are moving at 17,500 miles per hours.; zoom, zoom, zoom. :icon_lol:

Happy Thanksgiving

Caz
 
Yeah Caz, it is fast. I can only see it for about 2 to 3 minutes. The ambient light here doesn't help either, and I only catch sight of it by chance. I wish I was up north out in the country where the sky is darker at night. I sure miss seeing a star filled sky at night.

Happy Thanksgiving.
 
Pretty cool Caz. :ernae:

Man, I long to be out of the city. Darn lights here are so bright that nothing in the sky can be seen hardly at night. :kilroy:
 
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