Space Station/Shuttle Sighting Soon!

Couldn't pass up the alliteration.

Have you ever seen the ISS/Space Shuttle pass overhead? Tonight's your chance, if you're in the Kansas City/St. Joseph area. It's amazingly easy to see, and amazingly difficult to forget. Tonight will be a GREAT viewing. The ISS/Shuttle combination will move quickly enough across the sky to be obvious, and will be brighter than any other star in the sky. If you're outside at the right time, you can't miss it.

First you should synchronize your watches at this link. The orbital mechanics that determine these viewings is very precise.

Second, go outside right after dark and get your bearings. Find a nice, relatively dark area with a clear view of the West half of the sky. You'll be alright if there are some lights around, but try to get some distance between you and any obnoxious streetlights.

If you want to find these viewings yourself, go to: spaceflight.nasa.gov, where you'll find the applet that finds sightings for you. It takes a little getting used to, but it works beautifully.

But if you want to avoid all that, just follow my directions below:

Kansas City: Be outside. Find the Big Dipper (it's to the Northwest). The ISS will climb from there toward the top of the sky. At PRECISELY 10:21 and 42 seconds, the ISS and Space Shuttle Endeavour will be two dipper-bowls BELOW the Big Dipper, and moving up. It looks like a jet airplane at first, but gets much brighter. ONE MINUTE LATER at 10:22 and 42 seconds, it will be at 75 degrees altitude (almost straight up). Twenty seconds later, it will disappear before your eyes.

St. Joseph: Same instructions, except 10 seconds earlier, and THREE dipper-bowls below the Big Dipper (at 10:21:32 pm).

Pre-emptive answer to your question: why did it suddenly go dark? See, here's what it takes to make one of these viewings. The ISS has to fly overhead, within about 500 miles of your location. It has to be dark where you are. And it has to be LIGHT where the ISS is -- here's the mind-bending part: when the sky is dark, the sun is STILL SHINING through that darkness. The ISS went dark while you were watching because it moved into the nighttime. That's why these viewings only happen right after dark and right before dawn.

Wanna see it again? Give me a holler at gier.michael@gmail.com and I'll help you find your next good viewing.

Enjoy!