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Viewing the International Space Station from
the Ground
Depending on your location on the Earth's surface, the spacecraft's
position in orbit and the time of day, you may be able to see either
the space shuttle or the International Space Station, or both, as
they orbit about 386 kilometres (240 miles) above the Earth. A
spacecraft will be seen as a steady white pinpoint of light moving
slowly across the sky.
For
rendezvous and docking missions, the space station and the shuttle
will be visible at the same time once the two vehicles have docked
in orbit and only one listing will be necessary.
Interpreting the Data
The text-based listing is in a column format, a sample of which is
shown below:
|
SATELLITE |
LOCAL
DATE/TIME |
DURATION
(MIN) |
MAX ELEV
(DEG) |
APPROACH
(DEG-DIR) |
DEPARTURE
(DEG-DIR) |
|
ISS |
Tue Nov 14/06:22 AM |
4 |
66 |
10 above WSW |
31 above NE |
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The left
column is the satellite. The next column is the local date and the
local time. The third column gives the duration, or the length of
time in minutes the spacecraft is expected to be visible, assuming a
clear sky. The fourth column gives the maximum elevation the vehicle
will achieve above the horizon (90 degrees is directly overhead).
The fifth column tells the direction and elevation at which the
spacecraft will become visible initially. The sixth column gives the
direction and elevation at which the spacecraft will disappear from
view.
Viewing Tips
For best results, observers should look in the direction and at the
elevation shown in the appearing column at the time listed. Because
of the speed of the orbiting vehicles, telescopes are not practical.
However, a good pair of field binoculars may reveal some detail of
the structural shape of the spacecraft.
On a regular
basis, the space shuttle must get rid of excess supply and waste
water by dumping them individually or simultaneously overboard
through water spray nozzles. Viewing the shuttle at these times
through binoculars or a telescope can reveal an even more
spectacular view of the spacecraft and the ice crystals that form as
the water is sprayed overboard. Although you can sometime use a
flight timeline to find out when scheduled dumps occur, your best
bet is to monitor
NASA TV. Then, check the sightings list to see if a sighting
opportunity and a water dump overlap.
Shuttle/station docking missions provide an exciting opportunity to
see a double pass. On the day or two immediately before
docking and after undocking, the shuttle and station will appear to
be chasing each other across the night sky. They will follow the
same flight path varying by only a few minutes. If the distance is
close enough, they will actually appear in the sky at the same time!
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