Speedo1968 Posted November 19, 2019 Share Posted November 19, 2019 I live about 50km south of Khon Kaen, outside a small town with clear evening skies, when not cloudy of course. This time of year there are good views, eyes only, of the ISS I have often seen a star ( ? ) trailing a long long way behind, half a sky. Tonight ( Tuesday Nov 14 ) there was another very bright object in the sky close to, in sky terms but trailing the ISS. It's bright shape, slightly twisted, mimiced that of the ISS but was about 50% smaller. Can anyone tell me what it was ? There is a 'singing' kite in the evening this time of year but it stands out as a black object. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tayaout Posted November 19, 2019 Share Posted November 19, 2019 There is technology available that can help you. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.runar.issdetector https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.stardroid Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Langsuan Man Posted November 20, 2019 Share Posted November 20, 2019 (edited) I use ISS Detector and the International space station is very active over Thailand for the last and upcoming few weeks We can see it even with the high light pollution caused by Nong Nooch. My girlfriend has become an expert at using the app and is usually the first one to spot the ISS https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.runar.issdetector&hl=en Edited November 20, 2019 by Langsuan Man 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tifino Posted November 20, 2019 Share Posted November 20, 2019 yes it seems that @Speedo1968 knows all about the ISS... but he's referring to some bright shadower... maybe the poo bags? where definitely all that glitters is not gold Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ballpoint Posted November 20, 2019 Share Posted November 20, 2019 The ISS live now app does what the ISS detector one does - telling when and where it can be seen in the sky, and allowing notifications to be set, but also has a live video feed of Earth from the ISS: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.nicedayapps.iss_free&hl=en for the free one, or pay 32 baht for the HD version https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.nicedayapps.iss&hl=en 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Speedo1968 Posted November 20, 2019 Author Share Posted November 20, 2019 Thank you to those of you have commented on the ISS. I spend a few hours each day, early mornings ( 4.30 - 5.30am, 4pm - 6.30pm ) exercising outside so have many opportunities to see whats in the sky. I am well aware of the seasonal positions of the ISS where I live. My question is as in my original post - What is tailing the ISS, especially as it has a very similar shape and is not to my knowledge a star or planet and certainly not a plane or kite. Has anyone else noticed this other object ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonlover Posted November 20, 2019 Share Posted November 20, 2019 11 minutes ago, Speedo1968 said: My question is as in my original post - What is tailing the ISS, especially as it has a very similar shape and is not to my knowledge a star or planet and certainly not a plane or kite. Has anyone else noticed this other object ? Does this object travel in the same direction and speed as the ISS itself? I do have a theory about it. I get great views of ISS from the lane just outside our village, but never seen a 'ghost ISS' behind it. I'm intrigued by this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wgdanson Posted November 20, 2019 Share Posted November 20, 2019 A new version of War of the Worlds has just started on BBC..................hmmm? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonlover Posted November 20, 2019 Share Posted November 20, 2019 2 minutes ago, wgdanson said: A new version of War of the Worlds has just started on BBC..................hmmm? Has it? Oh I must wind up the VPN and have a look see. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wgdanson Posted November 20, 2019 Share Posted November 20, 2019 5 minutes ago, Moonlover said: Has it? Oh I must wind up the VPN and have a look see. Same story, different people.....Demelza is the main lady. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonlover Posted November 20, 2019 Share Posted November 20, 2019 Just now, wgdanson said: Same story, different people.....Demelza is the main lady. First came the book, then the radio series, then the film, then the new film. And now it's on TV. Just goes to show, a good story can have a long life. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post wgdanson Posted November 20, 2019 Popular Post Share Posted November 20, 2019 5 minutes ago, Moonlover said: First came the book, then the radio series, then the film, then the new film. And now it's on TV. Just goes to show, a good story can have a long life. Correct. Check out that story about some bloke in Israel 2000 odd years ago. That's had a long life! (other myths are available) 555 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CNXBKKMAN Posted November 20, 2019 Share Posted November 20, 2019 1 hour ago, Speedo1968 said: Thank you to those of you have commented on the ISS. I spend a few hours each day, early mornings ( 4.30 - 5.30am, 4pm - 6.30pm ) exercising outside so have many opportunities to see whats in the sky. I am well aware of the seasonal positions of the ISS where I live. My question is as in my original post - What is tailing the ISS, especially as it has a very similar shape and is not to my knowledge a star or planet and certainly not a plane or kite. Has anyone else noticed this other object ? The object following it on a similar track was a satellite or part of a rocket that launched a satellite. Some of them can be seen without binoculars. I have the Heavens Above app on my phone and it shows all this stuff, directions, time, brightness etc . ISS is due over Chiang Mai tonight at about 18:10 for a few mins coming from the SW heading NE. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SWW Posted November 20, 2019 Share Posted November 20, 2019 Sometimes the astronauts on board the ISS will be active on amateur radio (144MHz or 433MHz band), and with a relatively small antenna and even a handheld radio receiver, you can hear them. If you have an amateur radio licence and a transceiver instead of a receiver (but still just a handheld), you can even talk to them yourself. With some more advanced equipment you can receive pictures, etc. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wgdanson Posted November 20, 2019 Share Posted November 20, 2019 (edited) This post prompted me to go onto YouTube's live feed from ISS. I just watched Earthrise....absolutely stunning. Are there still people out there saying the Earth is flat? Edited November 20, 2019 by wgdanson 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonlover Posted November 20, 2019 Share Posted November 20, 2019 54 minutes ago, CNXBKKMAN said: The object following it on a similar track was a satellite or part of a rocket that launched a satellite. Some of them can be seen without binoculars. I have the Heavens Above app on my phone and it shows all this stuff, directions, time, brightness etc . ISS is due over Chiang Mai tonight at about 18:10 for a few mins coming from the SW heading NE. Well, it could be a satellite, you certainly can see them at around the same time as you would see ISS, but it would be quite a coincidence for 2 objects to be orbiting at the same speed and direction. My theory involves weather, cloud to be more precise. I think it's probable that @Speedo1968 was viewing ISS through a thin layer of cirrostratus cloud. He can see ISS through the cloud but he's also seeing a refracted (bent light) version as the light passes through ice crystals and appears as a 'ghost ISS' following behind. The distance between the 2 would vary according to the angle that the light passes through the cloud. It's the same effect that sometimes causes a halo around the moon and much more rarely a 'double sunset'. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double_sunset Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atyclb Posted November 20, 2019 Share Posted November 20, 2019 rumour has it the ISS has been especially active over thailand researching black holes 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PETERTHEEATER Posted November 20, 2019 Share Posted November 20, 2019 10 hours ago, Langsuan Man said: I use ISS Detector and the International space station is very active over Thailand for the last and upcoming few weeks We can see it even with the high light pollution caused by Nong Nooch. My girlfriend has become an expert at using the app and is usually the first one to spot the ISS https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.runar.issdetector&hl=en I use a BS detector from Lazada but the alarm on it operates continuously everytime a government minister speaks,,,,,, 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ballpoint Posted November 20, 2019 Share Posted November 20, 2019 It just passed by fairly low in the sky to the north. I couldn't see anything trailing it from my place. Anyone else see it? This will be the last time we see it for over a week. Could be that the trailing light was a ghost image caused by refraction in the atmosphere. Either that or swamp gas from a weather balloon was trapped in a thermal pocket and refracted the light from Venus. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
faraday Posted November 20, 2019 Share Posted November 20, 2019 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tifino Posted November 20, 2019 Share Posted November 20, 2019 how often are resupply approaches, and departures? Co-ordination of orbital heights and speeds would be also something that probably takes half an orbit to complete too? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curtklay Posted November 20, 2019 Share Posted November 20, 2019 Attempting a serious answer, you may have seen a supply ship making a delivery. I saw this once. The following craft would come racing toward the rear of the ISS, then dock with it. They replenish the astronauts supplies and pick up some of the waste. It was a hell of a sight; thought they were being attacked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emptypockets Posted November 21, 2019 Share Posted November 21, 2019 Back in the nineties the ISS did an experiment towing a device through the magnetic field of the earth. Maybe that device is still orbiting behind the ISS. If nothing has been done to change its trajectory it may still be there. I saw it in maybe 1995/6/7 or sometime around then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denim Posted November 21, 2019 Share Posted November 21, 2019 A good video on how it was assembled : Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beachcomber Posted November 21, 2019 Share Posted November 21, 2019 2 hours ago, Denim said: A good video on how it was assembled : Amazing. Didn't realise just how much work was actually involved. ???? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Speedo1968 Posted November 21, 2019 Author Share Posted November 21, 2019 23 hours ago, Moonlover said: Does this object travel in the same direction and speed as the ISS itself? I do have a theory about it. I get great views of ISS from the lane just outside our village, but never seen a 'ghost ISS' behind it. I'm intrigued by this. Thanks for your interest and would be interested in your theory. I wouldn't call it a ghost as the light intensity seems to be the same for both objects. They seem to be traveling WSW but speed, sorry no idea. They are visible before total sunset and very clear by 6pm. I only have my eyes to look at the objects and of course the patience to sit down and watch for some time. Both objects seem to be traveling in the same direction and maintain the same distance apart. This is observations from sitting in the park at the same place and from my house about 200 metres away, from about 5pm until 6.30pm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Speedo1968 Posted November 21, 2019 Author Share Posted November 21, 2019 17 hours ago, ballpoint said: It just passed by fairly low in the sky to the north. I couldn't see anything trailing it from my place. Anyone else see it? This will be the last time we see it for over a week. Could be that the trailing light was a ghost image caused by refraction in the atmosphere. Either that or swamp gas from a weather balloon was trapped in a thermal pocket and refracted the light from Venus. It seemed to stay the same distance apart and was too bright to be a 'ghost' image. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Speedo1968 Posted November 21, 2019 Author Share Posted November 21, 2019 17 hours ago, tifino said: how often are resupply approaches, and departures? Co-ordination of orbital heights and speeds would be also something that probably takes half an orbit to complete too? Many thanks for that, had never thought about that. Guess I can look online to try and find out, if such things are shown. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonlover Posted November 21, 2019 Share Posted November 21, 2019 1 hour ago, Speedo1968 said: Thanks for your interest and would be interested in your theory. I wouldn't call it a ghost as the light intensity seems to be the same for both objects. They seem to be traveling WSW but speed, sorry no idea. They are visible before total sunset and very clear by 6pm. I only have my eyes to look at the objects and of course the patience to sit down and watch for some time. Both objects seem to be traveling in the same direction and maintain the same distance apart. This is observations from sitting in the park at the same place and from my house about 200 metres away, from about 5pm until 6.30pm. I've already anticipated your interest. See my post #16. I love watching ISS myself, but I'e never seen this 'double image' effect. ISS can be seen, from the observer's view point, to rise in the NW and travel SE or rise in the SW and travel NE. It depends on which phase of its orbit you're seeing. By the way, have you seen Venus & Jupiter in the evening sky, just after sunset? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Speedo1968 Posted November 22, 2019 Author Share Posted November 22, 2019 19 hours ago, Moonlover said: I've already anticipated your interest. See my post #16. I love watching ISS myself, but I'e never seen this 'double image' effect. ISS can be seen, from the observer's view point, to rise in the NW and travel SE or rise in the SW and travel NE. It depends on which phase of its orbit you're seeing. By the way, have you seen Venus & Jupiter in the evening sky, just after sunset? Thanks Moonlover, I read your Post#16 yesterday after having made a new reply. I am about 50km south of Khon Kaen off the Bangkok highway. In the evening sky around 6pm the ISS has just passed overhead and setting towards the WSW, i.e following the setting sun. Last night was cloudy but I will try and photograph next time I see it, only have a small Cannon pocket camera. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.png.3b3332cc2256ad0edbc2fe9404feeef0.png)
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now