Space Station – Very bright over-flights over the next few days in SoCal.

The International Space Station The International Space Station will be a special treat for all of us in Southern California over the next several days. We will have some truly spectacular “fly-overs” for some of the brightest passes theoretically possible (the brightness is determined by how the space station – and particularly their football-pitch sized solar panels – happen to be aligned with the sun).

For those of you who may be new to viewing it the ISS will be visible as one of the brightest (mostly the brightest) star-like object in the sky as it passes approx 200 miles overhead at over 17000 mph. The table below gives a lot of information about each visible pass including when and where to look.  The lower the Mag number the brighter the ISS will be.  So for example the pass on Aug 5th starting at approx 8:20pm will be one of the brighter ones.

Be sure to wave to the SIX astronauts/cosmonauts who are calling the ISS home right now. (note: there are currently nine people in space right now – three are on the Chinese space station)

Click on the date for each pass for further detail.

Date Start Highest point End
[Mag] Time Alt. Az. Time Alt. Az. Time Alt. Az.
05 Aug -3.0 20:19:23 10° SSW 20:22:36 47° SE 20:25:50 10° ENE Visible
05 Aug -0.2 21:57:12 10° WNW 21:59:30 17° NNW 22:01:49 10° NNE Visible
06 Aug -1.0 21:07:54 10° W 21:10:48 27° NW 21:13:43 10° NNE Visible
07 Aug -2.1 20:18:56 10° WSW 20:22:10 47° NW 20:25:26 10° NE Visible

All of the predictions above provided by Heavens-Above.com where you can get your own predictions for this and many other neat things to see in the sky above you.

Posted in ISS

Space station returns to skies above SoCal for the next week

The International Space Station The International Space Station will be a special treat for all of us in Southern California over the next several days. We will have some truly spectacular “fly-overs” for some of the brightest passes theoretically possible (the brightness is determined by how the space station – and particularly their football-pitch sized solar panels – happen to be aligned with the sun).

For those of you who may be new to viewing it the ISS will be visible as one of the brightest (mostly the brightest) star-like object in the sky as it passes approx 200 miles overhead at over 17000 mph. The table below gives a lot of information about each visible pass including when and where to look.  The lower the Mag number the brighter the ISS will be.  So for example the pass on Jun 21 starting at approx 10:20pm will be one of the brighter ones.

Be sure to wave to the SIX astronauts/cosmonauts who are calling the ISS home right now. (note: there are currently nine people in space right now – three are on the Chinese space station)

Click on the date for each pass for further detail.

Date Bright Start Highest point End
[Mag] Time Alt. Az. Time Alt. Az. Time Alt. Az.
24 Jun -2.4 21:29:34 10° WNW 21:32:39 39° SW 21:33:57 26° S
25 Jun -3.3 20:40:28 10° NW 20:43:43 84° SW 20:46:58 10° SE
26 Jun -0.7 21:29:47 10° WSW 21:31:05 12° SW 21:32:22 10° SSW
27 Jun -1.4 20:39:37 10° WNW 20:42:16 23° SW 20:44:54 10° S

All of the predictions above provided by Heavens-Above.com where you can get your own predictions for this and many other neat things to see in the sky above you.

Posted in ISS

International Space Station – for your viewing pleasure.

The International Space Station The International Space Station will be a special treat for all of us in Southern California over the next several days. We will have some truly spectacular “fly-overs” for some of the brightest passes theoretically possible (the brightness is determined by how the space station – and particularly their football-pitch sized solar panels – happen to be aligned with the sun).

For those of you who may be new to viewing it the ISS will be visible as one of the brightest (mostly the brightest) star-like object in the sky as it passes approx 200 miles overhead at over 17000 mph. The table below gives a lot of information about each visible pass including when and where to look.  The lower the Mag number the brighter the ISS will be.  So for example the pass on April 8th starting at approx 7:54pm will be one of the brighter ones.

Be sure to wave to the SIX astronauts who are calling the ISS home right now.

Unusual (for me) is to post the times when the ISS will be passing over just before sunrise. I’m likely going to be asleep – but hopefully those of you who are early birds might enjoy the opportunity.

Click on the date for each pass for further detail.

Date Bright Start Highest point End
[Mag] Time Alt. Az. Time Alt. Az. Time Alt. Az.
06 Apr -2.4 19:59:31 10° SSW 20:02:23 28° SE 20:04:56 12° ENE
07 Apr -2.0 20:45:06 10° WSW 20:48:14 41° NW 20:50:40 15° NNE
08 Apr -3.3 19:54:17 10° SW 19:57:34 86° NW 20:00:51 10° NE
09 Apr -0.4 20:41:23 10° WNW 20:43:41 18° NNW 20:45:59 10° NNE

All of the predictions above provided by Heavens-Above.com where you can get your own predictions for this and many other neat things to see in the sky above you.