ISS, Tiangong, Satellites Over Puna

[Midnight Rambler]

Cool, thanks! I think one of the other guys with me had that app, me mentioned checking for the Iridium flares and that it was neither the type nor the time for one.

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

Tonight and tomorrow night are peak viewing this year for the Perseid Meteor Shower. Let's hope the skies clear. Here's detailed viewing info if you're a night owl:
https://www.lovebigisland.com/meteor-shower-guide/

(It's) what the existentialists called "awful freedom" the reinvention of irrationality by marginalized people, just in order to spite science. -Elif Batuman

[TomK]

There's an extremely bright pass of the ISS tonight (Tuesday 15th August July). It rises in the NW at around 19:55, is at its highest at 19:58 (56 degrees above the horizon in the NE), but look pretty much and enters the Earth's shadow in the East 19:58:36, so shortly after it's at its highest point. For those that know their stars and constellations, it passes very close to the bright star Alpha Lyra (Vega), just SW of the constellation Cygnus (the swan), in the NE.

Sky track: https://goo.gl/2xN3mL

Ground track: https://goo.gl/tCxRxW

[DTisme]

Very cool a punawebber saw something and you got your colleagues to look into it, TomK!

[TomK]

DT - I think you'll find that most astronomers living here, or any others around the world, are more than happy to help with anything that people see in the sky at night. We like sharing our own fascination with everyone!

[TomK]

I don't think the weather will be particularly agreeable, but if it is, there will be an extremely bright Iridium flare on Sunday evening (27th August). It occurs at 7:12:40 pm HST almost directly north of us at an elevation above the horizon of 40 degrees. For those that know their stars, the flare will occur a little higher up in the sky than the Pole (North) star. However, I'm not sure the sky will be quite dark enough to see that star, but the flare will be very obvious if the clouds hold off. Central HPP, Pahoa and Kalapana will all get great views, but it will be extremely bright for most of lower Puna.

Sky track: https://goo.gl/ryDyyd

Ground track of the flare: https://goo.gl/MVMKVa

[mermaid53]

We tried looking for it this evening...no luck.

Mahalo Tom...

[TomK]

Mermaid - it's tomorrow night (Sunday).

[mermaid53]

No wonder we had no luck, LOL [] It did get us out to look at the night sky which we do enjoy.

We'll try again tonight Tom...
.

[TomK]

I wish the flare was last night, the weather is not promising, although we did have some breaks in the cloud 30 minutes or so ago. Fingers crossed for a brief break in the clouds just after seven.