ISS, Tiangong, Satellites Over Puna

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

There have been a few passes of the ISS over Puna recently, but I haven't posted them as most occurred in the early pre-dawn.
This one is visible today (barring cloud cover) at a more civilized hour:

Sat Nov 26
6:30 PM
Visible: 5 min
Max Height: 69°
Appears: 11° above SSW
Disappears: 26° above NE

The ISS is now the only human occupied spacecraft in orbit around the earth. The two Chinese taikonauts who had been on-board the Tiangong 2 space station for a month returned to earth last week. They had conducted experiments with rice, cress, and silkworms in zero gravity. China also successfully launched a new heavy lift rocket last month, which will allow them to start adding modules to the Tiangong 2, so it will become brighter as it continues to pass over Hawaii in the coming years. It's vacant now, but will be visible over Puna in the early morning for the next two days:

http://www.heavens-above.com/PassSummary.aspx?satid=41765&lat=19.6213&lng=-155.0394&loc=Keaau&alt=107&tz=UCT10

“There is a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in.” Leonard Cohen

[ericlp]

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.t11.skyviewfree&hl=en

Anyone with an "android" phone? Install this and you will know where to look for all the planets, moon, sun and yes even track the ISS, just point your phone and you will instantly know where everything is, no guessing, no confusion.

You'll be amazed at this technology. You can even look though the planet and see what's going on. Even tracks the hubble, asteroids, galaxies, etc...etc...

Try it out, and let me know how it goes!

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

If the weather holds, we might get a chance to finally see the ISS for the first time in a long while tonight (the last few passes weren't visible due to thick cloud cover):

Tue Dec 20 6:48 PM
Visible: 6 min
Max Height: 74°
Appears: 11° above NW
Disappears: 10° above SE

"One may pretend knowledge of philosophy more successfully than that of arithmetic." -Last Aphorisms (or how about, one may pretend knowledge with an opinion more successfully than with facts)

[TomK]

"If the weather holds"

You're a hopeless optimist, HOTPE!

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

I know, I know.
I could hear the raindrops outside my window, but still at 6:48 I grabbed a flashlight, because who knows? Maybe there's a clear patch overhead somewhere along the space station's orbital path tonight. But no such luck, not a star in the sky flickered above.

Next pass for sure!

"One may pretend knowledge of philosophy more successfully than that of arithmetic." -Last Aphorisms (or how about, one may pretend knowledge with an opinion more successfully than with facts)

[PaulW]

It was worth a shot, sometimes it shines through the clouds.

[TomK]

There's a very bright Iridium flare predicted to be visible from Puna at 6:51:17 pm Friday evening (6th Jan) - the time and position is calculated for lower HPP but won't vary that much for anyone in Lower Puna. The flare will occur in the NE at an elevation of about 60 degrees above the horizon. It's magnitude is predicted to be about -8 (again, for Lower HPP) which is very bright, in other words, unmissable, but remember these events only last for a few seconds.

[PaulW]

Thanks Tom, didn't see it though - remembered just a few minutes too late. Did you see it?

[TomK]

No - too cloudy.

[Kukiniloa]

Here's a tip - try to observe the ISS during twilight. If it's nearly overhead it will appear large enough for the solar panels and main body to be seen unaided. During twilight it will be lit from the side. This is quite an amazing view, although in twilight the contrast is low and it can be challenging to make it out.