Help with trying to spot the ISS

[iamBevan]

On the NASA website it says that I need to consider the following:

"MAX ELEV - APPROACH - DEPARTURE"
86 20 above W 26 above E

Could someone tell me what these mean and how I'd work out where to look from this? Or point me to somewhere I could find out - Thanks.

 

[turbo]

There are tons more, including sites with more precise appearance/disappearance times if you can input local horizons.

http://fun.familyeducation.com/satellites/outdoor-activities/35032.html

 

[Creator]

Check out this video of ISS through an 11" Celestron CPC1100:
http://darwinsastroworld.com/090204ISS.WMV

...

 

[russ_watters]

http://www.heavens-above.com/ is more precise too. Really, though, all you need is the time since the ISS is so bright it can't be missed.

 

[Drakkith]

There an application for smartphones that you can download which will tell you when many many satellites and stuff, such as the ISS, will pass overhead. It even gives you a nifty line through the sky at the point where it should be!

 

[ideasrule]

I highly recommend Heavens Above. Not only does it give easy-to-understand tables, it also includes star maps superimposed with the satellite's trajectory. If you know the sky, these are very helpful.

 

[Borg]

There an application for smartphones that you can download which will tell you when many many satellites and stuff, such as the ISS, will pass overhead. It even gives you a nifty line through the sky at the point where it should be!

I saw an app like that last year on my boss's phone. He held it up toward the sky and it would orient itself to the sky to display the stars that you were looking at and their names. Very cool stuff on the phones these days. I like Heavens Above also - great site. The Iridium Flares are a lot of fun also.

 

[moonman239]

I saw an app like that last year on my boss's phone. He held it up toward the sky and it would orient itself to the sky to display the stars that you were looking at and their names. Very cool stuff on the phones these days.

What kind of phone does/did he have?

There's a $5 app on the iPhone App Store called "Star Walk" that can map out satellites. On iPhone 4 and iPod touch 4G it can use the built-in gyroscope to automatically adjust the map.

 

[Borg]

What kind of phone does/did he have?

There's a $5 app on the iPhone App Store called "Star Walk" that can map out satellites. On iPhone 4 and iPod touch 4G it can use the built-in gyroscope to automatically adjust the map.

He's not my boss anymore but, I sent him an email to find out what the app was.

Reply:
Google sky for android

 

[RobinSky]

On the NASA website it says that I need to consider the following:

"MAX ELEV - APPROACH - DEPARTURE"
86 20 above W 26 above E

Could someone tell me what these mean and how I'd work out where to look from this? Or point me to somewhere I could find out - Thanks.

Max Elevation 86 = The highest point ISS will reach on sky will be about 86 degrees above the horizon, or 4 degrees from zenith. That means that it will ALMOST rich zenith as it highest point on the sky, which means you don't have to look for it higher than 86 degrees above the horizon.

Approach 20 above W = When it comes across the sky it will apear 20 degrees above the horizon from the direction West.

Departure 26 above E = When it has crossed the half way you will notice that ISS will start to move downwards a little bit. And at the end of it's path it will be around 26 degrees above the horizion direction east.


Summary: If you are looking south it will move from right to left.
If you are looking north it will move from left to right.

But from your max elevation I suppose it will cross straight above you. Because I have never seen ISS so close to zenith from sweden, it's always near the horizon from west to east while facing south.