Meteor shower

[Spiderman]

Originally Posted by MR UKI (1)

Seen that twice so far this year flying over here. Last time was about a month ago, it is pretty amazing seeing it and thinking there's astronauts on that

Yup just what i was thinking as it passed overhead too. Crazy to think that thing that looks like a star has people living and working in it, eh?

And also kinda knowing they are looking at us while we look back at them. Nuts!

Bet they get the better view tho, lol.

Originally Posted by Spiderman

Yup just what i was thinking as it passed overhead too. Crazy to think that thing that looks like a star has people living and working in it, eh?

And also kinda knowing they are looking at us while we look back at them. Nuts!

Bet they get the better view tho, lol.

How easy is it to spot? Do you need binoculars?

Originally Posted by svdemon

How easy is it to spot? Do you need binoculars?

Very easy, and no binoculars needed. I used http://www.heavens-above.com/ to get predictions of ISS passes (and other visible satellites). Just enter your town and then get a prediction: it'll include times and a star map of the passes.

Once you've seen one and know what you're looking for (kind of like a plane, but moving very smoothly and with no flashing lights) you'll start to see them without needing the predictions. The hours after sunset are best. After that you'll be looking for Iridium flares (reflections from very low communication satellites): harder to spot because they only last a few seconds, but bright enough to be visible in broad daylight.

The best time I saw ISS was after a shuttle had just undocked and was on it's way back: we saw both of them, one followed by the other. They were a huge distance apart in different orbits, but it was weird to see two dots travelling together across the sky, and knowing they both had people in them.

[anna]

Well tonight we have been incredibly lucky, we got to see perhaps 7 or 8 really good metor passes.

I think in the next couple of days we may even get some good photos of Mars, the only thing stopping us currently is the inconsiderate building in the way of the telescope.

[Spiderman]

Originally Posted by svdemon

How easy is it to spot? Do you need binoculars?

Nope, heard about it on the news, went out at the right time (was about 11pm that night) and waited...and waited, till that star over there just kept getting closer and closer. Wow.

Originally Posted by JustATrick

Very easy, and no binoculars needed. I used http://www.heavens-above.com/ to get predictions of ISS passes (and other visible satellites). Just enter your town and then get a prediction: it'll include times and a star map of the passes.

Once you've seen one and know what you're looking for (kind of like a plane, but moving very smoothly and with no flashing lights) you'll start to see them without needing the predictions. The hours after sunset are best. After that you'll be looking for Iridium flares (reflections from very low communication satellites): harder to spot because they only last a few seconds, but bright enough to be visible in broad daylight.

The best time I saw ISS was after a shuttle had just undocked and was on it's way back: we saw both of them, one followed by the other. They were a huge distance apart in different orbits, but it was weird to see two dots travelling together across the sky, and knowing they both had people in them.

What he said too

Originally Posted by anna

Well tonight we have been incredibly lucky, we got to see perhaps 7 or 8 really good metor passes.

I think in the next couple of days we may even get some good photos of Mars, the only thing stopping us currently is the inconsiderate building in the way of the telescope.

Lucky you! Bloody buildings. Can you ask it to move and come back in a week or something?

[anna]

Sadly not, as that silly building is the one I happen to live in right now

[Spiderman]

always an excuse aint there