International Space Station

[Speedo1968]

Wonderfully clear to see in the early morning sky ( 3 - 6am ), if you are lucky enough to have a relatively artificial light free sky.

Winter look in the direction of the rising sun, the ISS is much 'bigger' and clearer than in a Summers sky when it appears towards the setting sun.

 

Whatever your views of it's cost etc. etc. it can be a good way to teach children something about the earth and stars and gravity and motion etc.

So many people today only look down or straight ahead when walking, some times the view above can be beautiful.

[sometimewoodworker]

If you have an iPad or iPhone then Night Sky  - https://itunes.apple.com/app/the-night-sky/id475772902?mt=8

is a good app to get

Edited November 30, 2018 by sometimewoodworker

[tifino]

Have had the heavens-above weblink on PC for years... 

I recall running outside one night, just about the last pass of the Shuttle. The website used to be quite versatile..not just the ISS 

 

Also had the many various Apps on the iPad... however the 'gyro' sensing inconveniently spat the dummy; never worked again ???? not that i blame the Apps... 

[AhFarangJa]

I am registered with the Nasa website that sends me notifications when the Space Station is coming over. Always good info, tells me the time, length of visibility, where in the sky it appears and where it disappears.

When we were in Saudi we used to go out at night to view it, clearer skies meant a better view, and my Son was always excited to see it, looking up on the net who was inside, what they were doing etc. As you say, a great educational tool for the Kids ( and some adults !! )

[PunkRockerGuy]

I happen to have a great view of the ISS many nights.  On the third floor of our house, I opened the patio to most of the sky and put a nice Celestron VX 8-inch SCT XLT propped there and can see do a fair amount of deep viewing.  

 

If you want daily coordinates of the ISS, just subscribe to Spot The Station.  For instance, you'll get daily reports like this when the ISS is visible from your location:

 

[email protected]
Wed, Oct 24, 5:57 PM
to me

Time: Thu Oct 25 5:05 AM, Visible: 4 min, Max Height: 66°, Appears: 31° above SW, Disappears: 11° above NNE

[amse]

For at least 5 years now I have seen primarily in the northern sky here in Phuket a large yellowish light, at least 3 times larger than any star. Also has been seen in the southern sky. Does anyone know what this is? 

[Grusa]

37 minutes ago, amse said:

For at least 5 years now I have seen primarily in the northern sky here in Phuket a large yellowish light, at least 3 times larger than any star. Also has been seen in the southern sky. Does anyone know what this is? 

Nibiru!

[Gulfsailor]

42 minutes ago, amse said:

For at least 5 years now I have seen primarily in the northern sky here in Phuket a large yellowish light, at least 3 times larger than any star. Also has been seen in the southern sky. Does anyone know what this is? 

Probably Venus or Mars. 

[steve73]

https://www.calsky.com/

 

This is a great site for hobby (or even more advanced) astronomers.. you can set up a personal log-in with your own lat/long co-ordinates, and it'll let you know (amongst other things) when the ISS is in view, and also any of the Iridium "Flares"... the brightest of which far exceed any star or planet, albeit just for a few seconds.. They're definitely worth watching out for.

Good Luck. 

[Speedo1968]

10 hours ago, AhFarangJa said:

I am registered with the Nasa website that sends me notifications when the Space Station is coming over. Always good info, tells me the time, length of visibility, where in the sky it appears and where it disappears.

When we were in Saudi we used to go out at night to view it, clearer skies meant a better view, and my Son was always excited to see it, looking up on the net who was inside, what they were doing etc. As you say, a great educational tool for the Kids ( and some adults !! )

Spent 9 years in Saudi in the 1980's many kms from any town or city.   Yes, the night skies were beautiful, shame there were no large manmade objects visible at that time.

[dave s]

11 hours ago, AhFarangJa said:

I am registered with the Nasa website that sends me notifications when the Space Station is coming over. Always good info, tells me the time, length of visibility, where in the sky it appears and where it disappears.

 

sign up for e-mail or phone alerts at:

https://spotthestation.nasa.gov/

location of Chiang Mai, Bankgkok or Songkla, whichever is closest to you, showing the brightest passes; Android apps "ISS Live" and "ISS onLive" show even low angle passes

8 hours ago, amse said:

For at least 5 years now I have seen primarily in the northern sky here in Phuket a large yellowish light, at least 3 times larger than any star. Also has been seen in the southern sky. Does anyone know what this is? 

try installing the free program Stellarium on your desktop computer, or Android app Heavens-Above (sometimewoodworker suggests Night Sky for iPhone, up above); then next time you see the yellowish light, start up your planetarium program  and scroll it to that part of the sky

https://stellarium.org/

 

 

 

When I was young, my grandfather would take me outside at night to watch the Projecr Echo satellites creep across the sky. A big deal then, crossing times listed in the newspapers. Yes, take the kids out to watch, they should long remember it. From Wikipedia:

 

Project Echo was the first passive communications satellite experiment. Each of the two American spacecraft, launched in 1960 and 1964, was a metalized balloon satellite acting as a passive reflector of microwave signals. Communication signals were bounced off them from one point on Earth to another.

[Langsuan Man]

I have both of these on my phone:

 

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.polilabs.issonlive

 

Allows me to view the earth from ISIS when earth is in daylight (can be cast to full sized TV)

 

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.runar.issdetector

 

Shows me when and where ISS is located in the sky in Thailand,  will not be visible until Dec 14th here in Pattaya 

 

[Speedo1968]

Not sure if anyone is still following this.

If they are can someone tell me what star, which is VERY bright, is appearing below the ISS around 4.30 - 5.30am ?

The ISS is roughly ESE of the sunrise position and the star looks as though it is the bottom left corner of a 4 lights box layout with the ISS at top left.

I live about 50Km south of Khon Kaen.