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ISS “incredibly bright” tonight
Posted: Wed May 20, 2020 10:31 pm
by mik
Wow
Saw on twitter today a notice that the ISS would be “incredibly bright” tonight. One view at 22:06 but the cited rise point was just behind a tree from my vantage point, and it wasn’t even dark at 22:06.
Took it with a pinch of salt, but made a note of the time. Didn’t see anything rising vertically from the quoted WSW bearing, so went to head inside when I noticed what looked like feggin’ Venus tracking now South at about 15Deg above the horizon. It was indeed
incredibly bright - never seen it like that.
Next view from the UK is as below - again it will be low in the sky, tracking v quickly across the horizon, but I’ll be going back outside to watch.....
Wed May 20, 11:41 PM
Appears 10° above W
Disappears 18° above E at 11:46 PM
Re: ISS “incredibly bright” tonight
Posted: Wed May 20, 2020 10:35 pm
by nuttinnew
Thanks, I'd forgotten to check times after they were in the wee small hours a week or two back

Re: ISS “incredibly bright” tonight
Posted: Wed May 20, 2020 11:26 pm
by mik
T minus 15
Copy.
Re: ISS “incredibly bright” tonight
Posted: Wed May 20, 2020 11:29 pm
by nuttinnew
Copy. I've just read there's a supply craft following it that may be able to be seen. It's due to dock with the ISS on the 25th. It also said this second pass will be brighter than the earlier one!
Re: ISS “incredibly bright” tonight
Posted: Wed May 20, 2020 11:36 pm
by mik
T minus 5 for everyone except nuttinew, who is quite clearly bingo bango on the bongos.
Re: ISS “incredibly bright” tonight
Posted: Wed May 20, 2020 11:45 pm
by RobYob
Cool! An astronomical thing actually fucking visiblen for once
Re: ISS “incredibly bright” tonight
Posted: Wed May 20, 2020 11:48 pm
by Maurice
Wow, you weren’t joking! That was great

Re: ISS “incredibly bright” tonight
Posted: Wed May 20, 2020 11:48 pm
by mik
Feckin awesome

Re: ISS “incredibly bright” tonight
Posted: Wed May 20, 2020 11:50 pm
by Swervin_Mervin
Didnt see schit

wondering if the treeline around our area blocked it from view
Re: ISS “incredibly bright” tonight
Posted: Wed May 20, 2020 11:53 pm
by mik
It was actually higher than the the 22:06 pass. I can only assume you looked North instead of South as it tracked past as it shone clearly through the trees here (?)
Re: ISS “incredibly bright” tonight
Posted: Wed May 20, 2020 11:56 pm
by mik
Another option:
Date: Thu May 21, 10:53 PM
Visible: 6 min
Max Height: 85°
Appears: 10° above W
Disappears: 10° above E
It will track South as it goes E to W
Re: ISS “incredibly bright” tonight
Posted: Thu May 21, 2020 12:04 am
by nuttinnew
I don't think I'll ever get a better view of it than that, which is both awesome and depressing. Perfect weather, it came into view off of the back garden in the middle, straight down and over the house, disappearing off the middle of the end of the front

If only I had something to record it with
Thanks again for posting, mik, I'd've missed it otherwise and the weather doesn't look so good for tomorrow.

Re: ISS “incredibly bright” tonight
Posted: Thu May 21, 2020 12:07 am
by Swervin_Mervin
Cheers mik. Reminder set.
I might have not read your first post properly about tracking south...

Re: ISS “incredibly bright” tonight
Posted: Thu May 21, 2020 8:24 am
by Jimmy Choo
Re: ISS “incredibly bright” tonight
Posted: Thu May 21, 2020 9:19 am
by nuttinnew
Re: ISS “incredibly bright” tonight
Posted: Thu May 21, 2020 9:29 am
by Mito Man
The ISS was intended to deorbit this year, I imagine it would have looked quite spectacular then but it has had its life extended again.
Re: ISS “incredibly bright” tonight
Posted: Thu May 21, 2020 9:39 pm
by McSwede
I watched it whizz overhead last night. Really bright and moving quickly
Re: ISS “incredibly bright” tonight
Posted: Thu May 21, 2020 9:57 pm
by Zonda_
McSwede wrote: Thu May 21, 2020 9:39 pm
I watched it whizz overhead last night. Really bright and moving quickly
Yep cloudy tonight though

Re: ISS “incredibly bright” tonight
Posted: Thu May 21, 2020 10:16 pm
by mik
Yeah - slightly cloudy here too.

Will pop out and take a look anyway - looks like this pass will be much higher in the sky than last night.
Re: ISS “incredibly bright” tonight
Posted: Thu May 21, 2020 10:43 pm
by mik
T minus 10.
Over.