See the Space Station & Shuttle ALL WEEK!!

Heh - for some reason that was very funny too me. 

Actually, this is kinda cool.  It might make for some fun viewing tomorrow night in CdA!

I trust there is nothing AERO about a flying brick.

Okay, looked up my city and have no clue what I'm looking at on that chart.

TUPUPPY:

Here are sightings for Rockford.  I just listed ISS, since they will be very close together anyway.  Duration= How long it will be visible.  Max Elev=Highest point in sky, Approach=direction from which it will be first visible, departure=direction it will be heading.  Provided it is clear, you will have an EXCELLENT viewing opportunity at 9:32 this evening.  It will be coming from the NNW and going to ESE.  3 Minutes duration at 51* Max Elev is awesome! (Okay I sound like a geek now)

THE FOLLOWING ISS SIGHTINGS ARE POSSIBLE FROM FRI JUN 15 TO WED JUN 27

Awesome.

Even if you're not a 'space geek' I think everyone should attempt to see a Space Shuttle launch from as close as possible. Words are insufficient to describe the experience.

Just the opposite, a lower elevation means it will be lower in the sky.  The beach would be an awesome place to see this.  From the reports, it seems like as long as it is clear you cannot miss it.

OK - so it looks like my best night will be Monday the 25th.

THE FOLLOWING ISS SIGHTINGS ARE POSSIBLE FROM FRI JUN 15 TO WED JUN 27

We saw them both tonight - it was so cool!  I went out by myself at first, but when I saw how clear it was I ran in and let the kids come out to watch with me.  The shuttle was 10 minutes later and it was way past their bedtime, but of course I let them wait for that too!  I was surprised at how fast they were going.

So can someone explain to me how this works that I can see them for a week every night?  I don't know anything about space stuff but I guess I should learn since we're only a few hours from Kennedy Space Center!

Momx3:

It just has to do with the orbiting pattern of the ISS or Shuttle.  Sunlight reflects off of them and is sent back to earth, and this is what we see.  The orbit often changes and you can go weeks or months without seeing the ISS, while other parts of the nation/world can see it nightly.  As the ISS gets bigger, it will become brighter and brighter.  Eventually, it will be the 3rd brightest object in the sky, behind only the sun and moon.  It looks like tonight and Wednesday night will be great viewing opportunities in SoFla for the ISS.

Also, I'm not sure what you saw trailing the ISS last night, but it wasn't the shuttle.  The shuttle landed in CA on Friday afternoon, you probably saw one of the many satellites that are up there.  Pretty cool to see those too!  (I don't know why NASA's website lists shuttle viewing until Sunday night, maybe they cut the mission short by a couple of days?).  If you ever do get a chance, a launch is something you and your kids will never forget the rest of your lives.

Shuttle just made it to space with No Issues!  I always get nervous when these launches are viewed as "routine", since it is anything but.  I'm glad the cable networks still show it.  Anyway, for you space enthusiasts and those looking for "cool" things to show your kids...you can see the shuttle and International Space Station (ISS) flying overhead for the next 2 weeks.  Viewing hours are in the evening for a few days, then those of you doing early AM workouts will have extra-terresterial company.

http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/realdata/sightings/cities/skywatch.cgi?country=United+States

Thanks for the update.  As always, it's appreciated.  My kids thank you as well.

Hi, it's me again, the resident BT Space Geek.  Tomorrow evening(12/7) and Saturday evening (12/8) will be Spectacular (Space Porn, if you will), as it will seem the Shuttle is "Chasing" the Space Station as it is lining up to dock.  It's also in the early evening, so it should be very easy to spot.  It appears it will only be visible to the peeps in the Northern Half of the country.  Check below link.

http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/realdata/sightings/cities/skywatch.cgi?country=United+States