ISS Prediction

MarkS · May 10, 2008, 17:15:30

Bright passes (mag -2.0 and brighter) every single morning for the next week between 3-4:30am ...
http://www.heavens-above.com

On May 18/19 you can watch it go over 3 times in succession ...

MarkS · May 11, 2008, 07:50:43

In fact there is a magnitude -2.0 (or brighter) pass every single night from now until the beginning of June.

On the night of 21 May there are FIVE visible passes in succession and at that point it changes from being an early morning object to a evening object.

MarkS · Jul 13, 2008, 17:58:29

18-31 July 2008
There is a visible pass every evening at magnitude -2.0 or greater.

More info at http://www.heavens-above.com

Rick · Jul 13, 2008, 19:00:13

Also some in the next few days if you're prepared to get up at oh-dark-silly o-clock to catch them a bit before sunrise...

Fay · Jul 13, 2008, 20:00:26

Mind you are not insulting Mark there Rick!

Rick · Jul 23, 2008, 23:37:43

Code Select

Satellite predictions with favourable viewing geometry (>25) for:

Ground Station    : High Elms, Farnborough, Kent, England   ---   JO01AI
Time Zone         : UTC (+0.00 h)
                           in eclipse *  in daylight o
                                      ^              ^
Date       Rising at    Peak elevation      Setting    Height Satellite
 Y M D  Time      Az.  Time      Az. El  Time      Az. (peak) Name
======  ========= ===  ========= === ==  ========= === ====== =========
080723  21:37:53  261  21:42:38  277 86  21:47:38*  83        ISS
080723  23:13:05  279  23:17:50* 203 81  23:22:50* 104        ISS
080724  00:48:10  282  00:52:48* 210 25  00:57:33* 138        ISS
080724  20:26:23o 247  20:31:08o 168 61  20:36:08o  78        ISS
080724  22:01:27  272  22:06:20   13 81  22:11:13*  92        ISS
080724  23:36:39  283  23:41:25* 201 49  23:46:17* 120        ISS
080725  19:15:07o 229  19:19:45o 153 32  19:24:30o  77        ISS
080725  20:49:57  261  20:54:42  284 87  20:59:42*  83        ISS
080725  22:25:09  279  22:29:54  196 81  22:34:54* 104        ISS
080726  00:00:14  282  00:04:52* 209 25  00:09:30* 139        ISS
080726  19:38:27o 247  19:43:12o 163 61  19:48:05o  78        ISS
080726  21:13:31  272  21:18:24   28 80  21:23:17*  92        ISS
080726  22:48:43  283  22:53:29* 198 48  22:58:21* 120        ISS

Note: Those times are UTC, so you need to add an hour for BST.

MarkS · Jul 23, 2008, 23:42:28

No prizes for guessing what the OAS will be doing shortly after 10pm [Edit: UTC] tomorrow night ...

Rick · Jul 23, 2008, 23:45:52

Watched the pass earlier this evening. I wonder how easy it'd be to catch the daylight pass 20:26-20:36 UTC tomorrow? It's during the monthly OAS meeting...

Rick · Jul 26, 2008, 08:17:05

Code Select

Ground Station    : High Elms, Farnborough, Kent, England   ---   JO01AI
Time Zone         : UTC (+0.00 h)
                           in eclipse *  in daylight o
                                      ^              ^
Date       Rising at    Peak elevation      Setting    Height Satellite
 Y M D  Time      Az.  Time      Az. El  Time      Az. (peak) Name
======  ========= ===  ========= === ==  ========= === ====== =========

080726  19:45:53o 249  19:50:46o 171 67  19:55:46o  78        ISS
080726  21:21:14  274  21:26:07  359 82  21:31:07*  93        ISS
080726  22:56:35  283  23:01:20* 204 45  23:06:21* 122        ISS
080727  18:36:55o 233  18:41:41o 155 38  18:46:34o  77        ISS
080727  20:12:01o 264  20:16:54o  19 85  20:21:55o  84        ISS
080727  21:47:22  281  21:52:15  182 75  21:57:16* 107        ISS
080728  19:02:49o 251  19:07:42o 160 71  19:12:42o  79        ISS
080728  20:38:10  275  20:43:03   32 83  20:48:03*  95        ISS
080728  22:13:24  283  22:18:17  200 42  22:23:10* 124        ISS
080729  17:53:44o 235  17:58:37o 153 41  18:03:30o  77        ISS
080729  19:28:58o 265  19:33:51o  31 82  19:38:51o  85        ISS
080729  21:04:11  281  21:09:04  205 72  21:14:12* 109        ISS

Stll some good high passes to come. 10:21pm tonight looks promising, and the 8:46pm daylight pass might just be near enough sunset for it to be visible. Did ISS boost its orbit recently? I notice this bunch of predictions are slightly later than the one from Tuesday.

MarkS · Jul 29, 2008, 19:42:08

22:06pm tonight (Tue 29 July) reaching max altitude of 70deg in the SSW ...

... better get my broom handle out.

Rick · Jul 29, 2008, 19:55:59

Today's calulations give this:

Code Select

Ground Station    : High Elms, Farnborough, Kent, England   ---   JO01AI
Time Zone         : UTC (+0.00 h)
                           in eclipse *  in daylight o
                                      ^              ^
Date       Rising at    Peak elevation      Setting    Height Satellite
 Y M D  Time      Az.  Time      Az. El  Time      Az. (peak) Name
======  ========= ===  ========= === ==  ========= === ====== =========

080729  17:53:24o 235  17:58:17o 153 40  18:03:10o  77        ISS
080729  19:28:38o 265  19:33:24o 321 83  19:38:31o  85        ISS
080729  21:03:51  281  21:08:44  202 72  21:13:45* 109        ISS
080730  18:19:15o 252  18:24:08o 164 74  18:29:09o  79        ISS
080730  19:54:36o 275  19:59:29o  29 84  20:04:29*  96        ISS
080730  21:29:50  283  21:34:43  201 39  21:39:36* 126        ISS
080731  17:10:08o 236  17:14:53o 156 43  17:19:46o  77        ISS
080731  18:45:14o 266  18:50:07o   2 83  18:55:07o  86        ISS
080731  20:20:34o 281  20:25:27o 187 69  20:30:28* 110        ISS
080801  17:35:51o 254  17:40:44o 174 77  17:45:45o  80        ISS
080801  19:11:12o 276  19:16:05o   6 86  19:21:05o  97        ISS
080801  20:46:33  283  20:51:18  203 37  20:56:11* 128        ISS
080802  16:26:43o 238  16:31:29o 157 46  16:36:22o  77        ISS
080802  18:01:49o 267  18:06:42o 358 82  18:11:43o  87        ISS
080802  19:37:10o 282  19:42:03o 189 65  19:47:04* 112        ISS

~~I'm tempted to see whether the daylight pass peaking at 8:33 at 83 degrees is visible...~~ I forgot that one. I did see the one just after 10pm though. I also, quite by chance, caught an Irridium flare at about 21:02 UTC.

MarkS · Jul 30, 2008, 10:31:40

I looked for the 8:33 one but saw nothing - the sky was too bright. The one after 10pm I managed to image.

Carole · Jul 30, 2008, 11:12:27

Rick,

Have you got the link to the website you are using for these charts?

Carole

Rick · Jul 30, 2008, 11:52:02

I run them off using sattrack. They used to go onto the old website twice a week. I've yet to sort out the business of getting them into the new website; one of those round tuits I havn't yet got...

The old locations (which still get updated) are:

http://www.chocky.demon.co.uk/oas/predictions.txt - a bunch of visible(-ish) satellites
http://www.chocky.demon.co.uk/oas/predictiss.txt - the ISS predictions
http://www.chocky.demon.co.uk/oas/predictiridium.txt - Iridium satellites (the lot...)
http://www.chocky.demon.co.uk/oas/predictnoss.txt - NOSS pairs and triplets

All are based on the latest elements I can get at the time, and become increasingly inaccurate as elements become out-of-date...

If you know your own location, then www.heavens-above.com may give better results.

MarkS · Sep 24, 2008, 19:38:18

Bright passes (mag -2.0 and brighter) every single evening from Thur 25 Sept to Fri 3 October

More info at:
http://www.heavens-above.com

Or Rick's link at:
http://www.chocky.demon.co.uk/oas/predictiss.txt

Rick · Sep 25, 2008, 08:59:55

All earlier in the evening now, of course, and plenty more whee ISS goes into eclipse before it reaches its highest point... Friday's looks promising.

MarkS · Sep 26, 2008, 08:43:02

Yes, tonight's one look good. A very bright pass, rising in the West shortly after 8:20pm (BST) and passing almost directly overhead a few minutes later.

Time to retrieve my sawn-off broom handle ...

Rick · Sep 26, 2008, 17:40:00

Looks like ATV-1 "Jules Verne" is also making a visibe pass tomorrow, rising just north of west at about 7:27pm, and passing almost overhead about 7:32pm (BST).

Then on Sunday on a similar track rising 7:40pm and overhead 7:44pm, which is just a couple of minutes after ISS and on a slightly different track.

Monday it rises about 7:53pm and is overhead about 7:57pm, about ten minutes before ISS.

Tuesday, 7:06pm and 7:10pm, but by then ISS seems to be out of the observable window.

Rick · Sep 28, 2008, 18:55:09

Quote from: Rick on Sep 26, 2008, 17:40:00
Monday it rises about 7:53pm and is overhead about 7:57pm, about ten minutes before ISS.

Tuesday, 7:06pm and 7:10pm, but by then ISS seems to be out of the observable window.

...or not, if things go according to plan.

See http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7639548.stm

Rick · Sep 28, 2008, 21:21:09

Quote from: Rick on Sep 26, 2008, 17:40:00
Then on Sunday on a similar track rising 7:40pm and overhead 7:44pm, which is just a couple of minutes after ISS and on a slightly different track.

Caught both of them. Jules Verne was about mag 0 at its brightest.

MarkS · Sep 29, 2008, 06:11:45

Rats! I caught the ISS but forgot to look out for the Jules Verne.

Both images: Canon EOS 350D on Celestron C11 at F10 , ISO 800, 1/2000s
Conditions were poor - sky was moisture laden and the seeing was bad.

Carole · Oct 01, 2008, 22:24:56

Even better images yet again!!!

MarkS · Oct 01, 2008, 23:53:22

Thanks Carol.

I'm now in the process of inventing a new technique which I intend to use on Thursday night's pass. If it works I'll reveal all ...

MarkS · Dec 05, 2008, 07:25:23

DSC was a washout but tomorrow (Sat 6 Dec) night provides the final bright (mag -1.9) opportunity in the current run of ISS sightings.

It begins its pass over Sidcup/Orpington at 4:20pm. This is quite early but good focusing can be achieved by using the moon.

More info at:
http://www.heavens-above.com

Or Rick's link at:
http://www.chocky.demon.co.uk/oas/predictiss.txt

Mike · Dec 05, 2008, 09:44:34

If you go to Heavens Above they are also doing pass predictions for the toolbag.

Fay · Dec 05, 2008, 09:51:13

Mark, you know we will be expecting an image of the tool bag now!!!

Rick · Dec 05, 2008, 17:39:48

The toolbag features, more by accident than design, as "ISS DEBTOOLBAG" in the monster list of predictions for High Elms in http://www.chocky.demon.co.uk/oas/predictions.txt

MarkS · Dec 06, 2008, 08:06:28

Rick,

Your monster list has no ISS and no Toolbag prediction for tonight ...

Mark

Rick · Dec 06, 2008, 11:07:18

Hmmm... The following predictions were calculated on Thursday. A new set should be calculated sometime today, and will probably differ, but the monster list does cut off if the maximum altitude is under 25 degrees and leaves out daylight passes, at least partly to keep it to a sane length.

Code Select

Date       Rising at    Peak elevation      Setting    Height Satellite
 Y M D  Time      Az.  Time      Az. El  Time      Az. (peak) Name
======  ========= ===  ========= === ==  ========= === ====== =========

081204  16:41:53  279  16:46:46  162 83  16:51:46* 103        ISS DEBTOOLBAG
081204  17:00:25  281  17:05:18  194 73  17:10:19* 108        ISS
081205  17:07:04  283  17:11:49  204 51  17:16:50* 119        ISS DEBTOOLBAG
081205  17:27:19  283  17:32:05  208 39  17:37:05* 126        ISS
081206  17:32:15  282  17:36:46  212 26  17:41:31* 138        ISS DEBTOOLBAG
081207  16:45:49  283  16:50:35  203 36  16:55:28  128        ISS

With a maximum altitude of 26 degrees, it probably won't be an easy sight. ISSs passes today seem to be in daylight.

MarkS · Dec 06, 2008, 11:30:37

Yes 16:20 is rather early and it won't really be dark.

I don't think they'll be any real chance of seeing a magnitude 7 toolbag!

Mark

Later Edit: Today's toolbag pass at 17:34 is magnitude 7.8 according to heavens-above

Even Later Edit: The reason I didn't see it in your monster list is that I was certain today was 8th Dec instead of the 6th. I must be going mad ...

MarkS · Dec 06, 2008, 17:00:32

Rats! The sky was so bright I didn't see it until it was almost at highest elevation. I managed to catch this as it receded but it's nowhere near as good as my best ones.

Fay · Dec 06, 2008, 17:27:35

Gosh, that isn't bad, Mark!!!!!!
I took the grandchildren outside to see it & it had passed overhead before I saw it. I thought it was coming from SSW, but seemed more W. So missed it coming.

At least we saw it. I did think of you.

Fay

MarkS · Jan 23, 2009, 14:42:38

Bright passes (mag -2.0 and brighter) every single evening from tonight (Fri 23 Jan 2009) for the next week.

More info at:
http://www.heavens-above.com

Or Rick's link at:
http://www.chocky.demon.co.uk/oas/predictiss.txt

Mike · Feb 06, 2009, 21:51:47

Mark you should try this -

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap090206.html

MarkS · Feb 07, 2009, 05:33:26

Mike,

ISS transit of the moon - a great idea! I've also seen a good ISS transit of the sun.

Mark

MarkS · Mar 22, 2009, 16:02:37

Bright passes (mag -2.0 and brighter) tonight at 7:47pm and Mon-Fri evenings this week (22 - 27 March 2009)

More info at:
http://www.heavens-above.com

Or Rick's link at:
http://www.chocky.demon.co.uk/oas/predictiss.txt

Give it a go! You know you want to!

Mark

MarkS · Apr 22, 2009, 08:29:57

Bright passes (mag -2.0 and brighter) every single day for 4 weeks starting on Mon 27th April 2009. These are early morning passes for the first couple of weeks, switching to evening passes for the next couple of weeks.

As usual, details can be found at:
http://www.heavens-above.com

Or Rick's link at:
http://www.chocky.demon.co.uk/oas/predictiss.txt

Go on, give it a go!

Mark

Rick · Apr 22, 2009, 09:02:23

It being so bright these days, there might be half a chance it could be spotted in daylight. Anyone tried yet?

News:

ISS Prediction