Last Chance to Spot Shuttle Atlantis in Night Sky

[mickw]

Skywatchers across the continental United States will get a fine opportunity this weekend to watch as the space shuttle Atlantis — on its final scheduled mission into space — chases and ultimately docks with the International Space Station (ISS).

Both the shuttle and space station will be visible as separate entities, each appearing as bright "stars" sailing across the evening twilight sky on Friday and Saturday. By Sunday evening, Atlantis will be docked to the ISS, and both will appear as a single bright moving "star."

More:  ISS+Shuttle

[mickw]

Looks like an opportunity at DSC   

Nothing on Heavens Above yet though 

[MarkS]

Nothing on Heavens Above yet though 

Correct - no visible passes for us in the UK.

[mickw]

DOH !

[Rocket Pooch]

Well Image Pluto instead, thats possible at the moment, and Mars, Saturn and Venus.....

[Mac]

Correct - no visible passes for us in the UK.

???

Heavens above lists these passes.....

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Search period start:   00:00 Wednesday, 12 May, 2010    
Search period end:   00:00 Saturday, 22 May, 2010
Observer's location:   Tuesnoad, 51.1490°N, 0.7240°E
Local time zone:   British Summer Time (UTC + 1:00)
Orbit:   341 x 354 km, 51.6° (Epoch May 12)
Click on the date to get a star chart and other pass details.

Date   Mag   Starts   Max. altitude   Ends
Time   Alt.   Az.   Time   Alt.   Az.   Time   Alt.   Az.
12 May   -0.9   22:21:32   10   WSW   22:23:03   13   SW   22:23:51   12   SSW
13 May   -1.8   21:10:24   10   W   21:12:58   27   SSW   21:15:31   10   SSE
14 May   -0.7   21:36:03   10   WSW   21:37:26   13   SW   21:38:48   10   SSW

ok they are early evening but might be visible.

[MarkS]

The one on Thursday 13 you might spot but it is lowish in the sky.  It's not much of a photo opportunity because of it's distance away from us.

The DSC one on Friday reaches only 13 degrees height - you'll be lucky to see it at all.

[Tony G]

The DSC one on Friday reaches only 13 degrees height - you'll be lucky to see it at all.

But I bet you'll be posting your images of the ISS and have Atlantis in the same frame on here on Saturday morning. 

Tony G