Live From Outer Space

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

A new camera went live on the International Space Station April 30th. It broadcasts a beautiful, mesmerizing live HD stream of the earth. The feed switches between multiple cameras, so if you watch for a few minutes you can get several different perspectives of the earth below.
(If the screen is black, it might be night time)

There is also a locator map on the right side of the page to allow you to see where the ISS is at the moment. The space station passes over Hawaii from time to time, so if anyone knows of a web site that would list Hawaii transits, please let us know:

http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov/HDEV/

[TomK]

HOTPE,

Go to the Heavens Above website - http://www.heavens-above.com/ - and then select your location (top right, selecting Hilo HI will be good enough) and then hit the update button at the bottom of the page. You can then select ISS from the list of satellites and it'll give you a table of when the ISS is visible. Note this is only night time (it's aimed at those who want to see the ISS), so above the table, select "all" for "Passes to include". This will provide the times the ISS is above our horizon even during daytime. If you then look at the middle part of the table it provides the altitude (alt) of the ISS at its highest point during the pass. The closer that is to 90 degrees the closer it is to flying directly over the islands. The table only gives ten days at a time, but you can move back and forward ten days at a time by hitting the arrow buttons above the table.

I believe all the times given in the table are HST once you've set your location.

Hope that helps.

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

Thanks Tom, if I read the chart correctly and times are HST, we should get two passes over Big Island during daylight hours tomorrow at 6:16 am & 4:07 pm.

[TomK]

Yes, although those are the times the ISS rises beyond 10 degrees above the horizon, the actual highest points are three or four minutes later. Those points are at altitudes 73 and 74 degrees, so not directly overhead. I haven't checked the link you gave yet, so am not sure if that's close enough for decent shots of the islands. 11 and 15th May could be better opportunities (15th May it's at 88 degrees at 12:57pm, so pretty much overhead).

[TomK]

PS. Times are definitely HST as long as the location is set to HI.

[Delta9r]

Awesome stuff! Thanks for the links.

"Life is labor, and all that is good in life comes from that labor..."

[TomK]

I took a few minutes off work today to look at the video in PrimalEdge's link. The ISS was nowhere near Hawaii, it was actually heading out over the south Atlantic, but watched as one of the cameras caught the last few rays of sunlight passing through the Earth's atmosphere. You could see the structures of the ISS turn a deep red (just like a lunar eclipse!) and after that watch a thin band of our atmosphere. Red at the bottom, blue at the top which disappeared after a few minutes as the ISS went into the umbra. It really did give me the impression of the tiny layer of atmosphere we have both protecting and keeping us alive as well as just being a truly beautiful sight.

I don't think the cameras they are using are going to give a good view of Hawaii even when the ISS passes overhead, but encourage people to watch the live video at some stage, especially when it's overhead Hawaii. You'll see the islands if you look at the right time (and it's not cloudy) and might just get a kick knowing that those views are live and perhaps the start of our next step into the future.

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

I tried to catch the pass over Hawaii at 4:07 yesterday (5/7). There seems to be a sequence of four cameras that alternate every minute or two; one straight down (the best view), two facing behind the ISS (wide angle), and one aimed forward. So even when the station passes over a particular part of the earth you have to hope the downward facing camera is on at the moment.

I could see the outline of Maui as it passed over, and I think South Point as it approached the Big Island, but just at that moment it switched cameras. You're right Tom, about the possibility of getting a good view of the islands. We not only need a direct flyover, but also the best camera to be on at the moment. I saw some beautiful sunset clouds over Tahiti, however, and amazing snow and ice formations in Alaska and northern Canada.

Sunrise over the Pacific as I type!