Finally
the weather is improving and time to get outside and enjoy spring. This weekend offers the opportunity to see
the International Space Station (ISS) pass over the area twice. Both passes will be excellent and highly
visible without the aid of binoculars.
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| ISS streaks across the sky. Image Credit: Andreas Möller. |
The
first opportunity to see ISS will be Saturday evening. If you have an unobstructed view of the
southwest horizon, you will be able to see it rise immediately beginning at
9:27 p.m. Most will be able to see ISS
by 9:30 p.m. in the southwest moving toward the northeast. About a minute later it will pass through the
constellation Orion. You might want to
try taking a time exposed picture. It
will reach its maximum altitude at 9:32:52 p.m. about two-thirds above the
northwest horizon. However, just 17
seconds later it will move into the earth’s shadow and disappear. If you are in a dark environment, this can be
quite interesting to watch.
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| The ISS track for Saturday, April 6, 2013. Times are local and on a 24 hour clock. Click on the image for a larger view. The dash line is the track in the earth's shadow. Image Credit: Heavens-Above.com. |
The
weather should cooperate, but there may be some high, thin clouds moving in
from the west. You should be able to see
it even if they arrive a little early.
If
you miss the passage on Saturday, there will be an even better one on Sunday. This will occur a little earlier in the
evening beginning at 8:38 p.m. in the southwest sky. The space station will be moving northeast
and will pass very close to the bright star Sirius, in the constellation Canis
Major, at 8:41:20 p.m. This will be a
good time to have binoculars to view the pass.
The maximum altitude and brightness will occur at 8:42:35 p.m. about
two-thirds above the southeast horizon.
You should be able to follow it all the way to the northeast horizon. This passage will last about 9 minutes from
horizon to horizon.
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| The ISS track for Sunday, April 7, 2013. Times are local and on a 24 hour clock. Click on the image for a larger view. Image Credit: Heavens-Above.com. |
Weather
should be great for this passage. Clouds
are not expected to be an issue and the temperatures will be warmer.
Note: The threat of freezes appears to be over and
even the frost danger is very low. This
promises to be a great weekend for planting that garden.
