International Space Station

Droolinggimp · 21 Mar 2007 at 19:37

I was just walking to the shop and it is a clear night here in Derby. As always I look to the stars to see whats going on and I saw a real bright one just below the moon. I am presuming this is the ISS. Correct me if I am wrong.

What I would like to know is there a telescope out there I can buy that will be good enough to make out the ISS with all its shapes and colours etc?

I know you can get ones that can fill the view finder witha good sharp image of Saturn etc which is millions of miles away but would this work for something closer?

Droolinggimp · 21 Mar 2007 at 19:41

No its wasnt. It was stationary and I have seen it loads of times. I always thought it was the ISS.

It is low in the sky.

Droolinggimp · 21 Mar 2007 at 19:44

I checked the Nasa website etc to see it current location and got totaly lost... got mixed up with my Azimuth and longitude etc. I have know idea what that is all about. :confused:

Droolinggimp · 21 Mar 2007 at 19:49

AcidHell2 said:
Isn't the ISS in an orbit

Yes it is that why it low in our sky at the moment. I think.

If you look at the moon you should see a really bright looking star about 7 o`clock from the moon

Droolinggimp · 21 Mar 2007 at 19:50

calnen said:
Can you give a link? I've done some astronomy.

http://spaceflight1.nasa.gov/realdata/sightings/SSapplications/Post/JavaSSOP/JavaSSOP.html

This a tracker of soome sort. Its trying to find where it is within my loctaion right now. That way I should know if it is the ISS.

EDIT: Actualy this is very complicated and I have no idea what im doing

Droolinggimp · 21 Mar 2007 at 19:54

Fusion said:
You were probably thinking of Venus, which can currently be seen below the moon.

Very bright if it is. Not saying your wrong but I would presume the ISS would be the brightest thing in the night sky due to it being the closest. :confused:

Droolinggimp · 21 Mar 2007 at 19:55

Fusion said:
Venus is the brightest object in the sky after the sun and moon.

Never knew that. Cheers. I sooo wnat a telescope right now.

Droolinggimp · 21 Mar 2007 at 19:56

AcidHell2 said:
But that's what i mean as it;s so close to earth it sgould be moving accros the sky reasonably fast.

Would it move THAT fast for us to actaully see it move within a few minutes.?

Droolinggimp · 21 Mar 2007 at 19:59

Just had a look out of my window and it seems as though its got a little lower towards the horizon. Maybe its the ISS?

Anyone got any idea what we can use to check what is viewable in the sky from my position?

Droolinggimp · 21 Mar 2007 at 20:01

Mr Mag00 said:
Tracker

here it is this is good once youve added what u wan to look at?!

Whats the ISS called?

Droolinggimp · 21 Mar 2007 at 20:07

Mr Mag00 said:
if you config, select human crew and the add ISS ZARYA, its nowhere near us you can also add the shuttle when its up, and i use it to i think spot one of the last shuttle flights late one night

Your right its near Argentina.. we wouldnt be able to see it..

Droolinggimp · 21 Mar 2007 at 20:09

What you using for that picture?

For post above yours..

Droolinggimp · 21 Mar 2007 at 20:19

Anyway back OT

Can we see the ISS if we had a telescope? I mean, can we see the crew looking out of the windows. :cool:

if we could.

What version of Starry Night you got Tachyon? Just looking at the website now.. very tempted.

EDIT: found this.. It moves very fast. http://dwarmstr.blogspot.com/2006/10/international-space-station-pass-seen.html

Droolinggimp · 21 Mar 2007 at 20:31

Tachyon said:
The version I'm using is Starry Night Enthusiast 4.5. It's a few years old now, I'm not sure what the latest versions have but when you start it up it updates any comet positions etc...

I've found it really useful if your anyway interested in the night sky as you can put in your location & then go outside & you've a good idea what your looking at.

During the Lunar eclispe thread some one said they can see a faint streak in the sky and said it was our milkyway. Is this true? Can we see our own Galaxy?

Droolinggimp · 21 Mar 2007 at 20:33

D.P. said:
The sun is quite bright and that is a fair bit further away than the ISS, as is the moon.

Venus it most probably is.

I see what your saying but there a lot bigger.. Maybe im getting all mixed up and too excited..

Droolinggimp · 21 Mar 2007 at 20:37

VaderDSL said:
We can see the other arms in our Galaxy, we're in the Orion arm afaik, and we see other arms and the galactic centre i think.

Amazing.

When ever I see pictures of other galaxys and the total massiveness of them its hard to comprehend just how small we are in all this. Its very strange being able to see our own galaxy from where we are on our planet.

I realise we are on the edge of our galaxy so to speak but to see it. wow..

Droolinggimp · 21 Mar 2007 at 20:38

SiriusB said:
The International Space Station.

I know that

it would have a more sceintific name for NASA thats what is was trying to find out. :rolleyes:

Droolinggimp · 21 Mar 2007 at 21:19

D.P. said:
with some fancy camera equipment on a good night you can get this
http://www.neatorama.com/images/2006-09/milky-way-southern-germany.jpg

What hardware do you need to get photos like that? That pic is really good.

Droolinggimp · 22 Mar 2007 at 18:18

Is this a good telescope to use and will I get some quality viewings with it...

Seriously thinking of starting this Astromony thing up as a hobby

http://www.scopesnskies.com/prod/meade/starter-scope/refractor/80.html

Droolinggimp · 22 Mar 2007 at 18:26

Doesnt say if it can view images of what you see in the viewfinder on your PC. I know it connects to the PC but would be ace if you could grab pics/..