Tracking the International Space Station

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around tracking the International Space Station (ISS) using live streaming and various tools for predicting its position. Participants share their experiences with the live feed, inquire about checking the ISS's position at specific times, and suggest resources for tracking the satellite.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Homework-related

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants express enthusiasm for the ISS live stream and its high-definition capabilities.
  • Questions arise about how to check the ISS's position at a specific time, with participants seeking guidance on available resources.
  • One participant suggests using the Heavens Above website for predictions about the ISS's visibility and position.
  • Another participant notes the importance of entering location coordinates to obtain relevant satellite information.
  • Participants share links to an Android app and a website for tracking the ISS, indicating a variety of tools available for this purpose.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the usefulness of the Heavens Above site for tracking the ISS, but there is no consensus on a specific method for predicting its position at a given time beyond the resources mentioned.

Contextual Notes

Some limitations include the need for specific location data to obtain accurate predictions and the lack of a feature that directly indicates the ISS's position at a specified future time.

Who May Find This Useful

Individuals interested in astronomy, satellite tracking, or those who enjoy watching the ISS may find this discussion and the shared resources useful.

Borg
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The International Space Station now has a set of High Def cameras hooked up to a live stream.

High Definition Earth Viewing

When it's on the dark side of the earth, it will often appear black. You can use this image to check it's location. Refresh the page to get the current location.

orbitdisplay.aspx?icon=iss&width=300&height=300&satid=25544.png
 
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Incredible initiative! I check in a couple times a day. Love watching how fast it's zooming around.
 
This is cool! I like it.
 
How do I check the position of ISS at a particular time? Where can I find that?
 
Right click on the image in the Borg's post, select "reload". Or do something equivalent.
 
Borek said:
Right click on the image in the Borg's post, select "reload". Or do something equivalent.

That would give me the current position. But how do I know where it will be at like 07:46 PM tomorrow?
 
I think they predict these things at the Heavens Above site (from which the image is taken).
 
Hmm.. thanks. Yes they've got it under "satellites>ISS>visible passes". This is great, a star chart for viewing ISS!

Edit: don't forget to feed your location!
 
Borek said:
I think they predict these things at the Heavens Above site (from which the image is taken).
Yes.

If you know your coordinates, you can modify your URL to get satellite information that is specific to your location. There is also a place where you can enter a city name. For example, if you wanted Iridium Flare predictions for Sydney, Australia, the URL would look like this:

http://www.heavens-above.com/IridiumFlares.aspx?Loc=Sydney&Lat=-33.883&Lng=151.217&Alt=1&TZ=AEST

Once the coordinates are in your URL, all of the predictions will be relevant to that location. It will only tell you what you can see. I haven't seen a feature that tells you where it will be at a given time.
 
  • #10
Found this android app: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.satflare.isspointer3dpro, Nice one.
And this awesome site: Space stations tracker.
 

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