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It was fairly overcast where I am in HPP, but there were scattered clear areas between the clouds that allowed a pulsing, flickering view of the ISS tonight.
Please post the Iridium date & time TomK, I've never seen one, but would like to someday. The descriptions I've read over the years are intriquing.
“What we take to be true is what we believe. What we believe is based upon our perceptions. What we perceive depends on what we look for. What we look for depends on what we think. What we think depends on what we perceive. What we perceive determines what we believe. What we believe determines what we take to be true. What we take to be true is our reality." -David Bohm
"I'm at that stage in life where I stay out of discussions. Even if you say 1+1=5, you're right - have fun." - Keanu Reeves
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Will do. Occasionally their orbits are adjusted to I'll wait until a little near the time. Anyway, right now it's predicted magnitude -8.4 which is extremely bright (you won't miss it if you're looking in the right place) at 20:03:54 August 15th. It'll be in the ESE at an elevation of around 53 degrees above the horizon. These flares only last for a few seconds, so you have to be ready! Also, since the flare is a narrow beam of light, this prediction is only valid for the Kaloli Point area. You'll see it from areas nearby, but the timing and brightness will vary depending on where you are.
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Watching the ISS sail over recently (elsewhere on the planet) I noticed a bright flash in another part of the sky.
It wasn't listed as an Iridium. Lots of stuff up there, we're just usually not looking that way.
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I'm going to be particularly busy for the next few days, so in case I'm unable to post an update about the Iridium flare, here are the current details (bear in mind these may change slightly). The information is for the Kaloli Point area:
Date and time: August 15th 20:04:05 HST;
Location: elevation 53 degrees above the horizon, azimuth 120 degrees (ESE). The flare is predicted to happen when the object is close to the moon but a little higher up in the sky;
Magnitude: -7.1. This is a little fainter than earlier predictions as the orbit has been updated, but is still extremely bright.
The center of the flare path is slightly more inland than Kaloli Point, so those living close to the H-130 will see an even brighter flare.
If you want to check the timings and brightness for your location, go to heavens-above.com and enter your location (you can use the map to drag a pointer to do this). After doing that, click on the Iridium Flares link to the left. To get more details, you can click on the link in the table to see the sky track of the satellite and the path of the flare center on the ground.
O.K. Tom. thanks for letting use know. We not worried
Kirk struggle voice invoked:
Ugh ah,,,,, i'm sooo bbusy with,,,, ugh, this pesky Iridium flair, that I might not be able to post.
LOL Tom, your self importance is so unflattering.
75 minutes later.
TomK
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USA
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Posted - 08/09/2016 : 00:14:35 Show Profile Email Poster Visit TomK's Homepage Reply with Quote
I don't know what the electricity costs of the TMT will be, but comparisons with the Keck observatory are almost certainly invalid. The Keck has two domes and telescopes, the TMT will have one although it will be larger. The TMT will have a smaller surface area to volume ratio compared to the Keck domes plus bigger and more massive equipment that will have a much longer thermal cycle time. I don't see how anyone can predict those costs at this time.
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LOL Tom, your self importance is so unflattering.
I prefer Tom's science updates to a personal attack on same.
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TomK - Thank you. I appreciate you sharing the information with the PW community. Having lived in an area with too much light pollution to see many stars, let alone anything else, I'm trilled to be able to see the heavens! Thanks to you I've seen the ISS twice.
O.k. K. its my one beef vs. your redundant, 7030 tonight
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Aside from the Iridium flare, there are a couple of upcoming opportunities to see the Hubble Space Telescope and the ISS in the evening. All times HST.
Hubble, Tuesday 16th August:
Rises at 19:28 in the WSW, passes almost overhead (slightly SSE) at 19:32 and passes into the Earth's shadow at 19:36 in the ENE.
It'll be about magnitude 0.7 which is similar to some of the brightest stars in the sky (for those that know their stars, it'll be a similar brightness to Betelgeuse, Altair, and Aldebaran.
ISS, Friday 19th August:
Rises at 19:54 in the NW, passes close to overhead (slightly SW) at 19:57 and passes into the Earth's shadow at 19:58 in the SSE.
Magnitude -3.3 which is similar to Venus at its brightest, so easy to spot.
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