Just viewed the Space Station from Florida Keys.

[tavernier]

Cloudless night, clear as a bell. Thrilling!

[ramblin_dave]

1. Should be visible the next two nights as well...

http://iss.astroviewer.net/observation.php?lon=-81.77998709999997&lat=24.5550593&name=Key%20West

[hibbing]

2. You can sign up for text alerts

I used to watch a lot of NASA TV so it was really thrilling to be able to watch it fly over. I would encourage anyone who has not seen it to do so, it is amazing!


Peace

[tavernier]

3. That is what we did.

Will watch again tomorrow.

[SergeStorms]

7. I watch every time.....

it crosses our area. I love watching it, wondering what they're doing up there, and marveling at the speed at which they travel around our planet (17,150 mph). They see a sunrise about every 92 minutes. Amazing!

[csziggy]

16. My sister has an app to locate where the Space Station is

Last edited Sun Apr 15, 2018, 05:26 PM - Edit history (1)

It syncs for your location, tells you which direction & what time it will come over the horizon and where it will drop down on the other side.

We watched it go over when we visited downstate Florida in February. It was pretty cool.

Sorry I don't remember the name of the app - something like "Look Up" or similar.

ETA: The app is "Spot the Station."

[localroger]

4. You can also see ISS and other satellite flybys

via this site: http://www.heavens-above.com/

While the ISS is indeed impressive, if you really want your socks knocked off check the site for Iridium flares. Iridium sats fly much higher than ISS at about 1000 miles up, and they're a lot smaller but they have large flat polished mirror-like antennas. When you catch a flare it's the brightest thing in the sky for twenty seconds or so, unbelievable. And each flare is only visible for a ground track a few miles wide.

[TrollBuster9090]

5. Isn't just being in the Florida Keys THRILLING ENOUGH!? ;) nt

[JoeOtterbein]

6. Agreed and where's the pics???n/t

[tavernier]

11. After 40 years, the thrill has calmed a bit, lol,

especially during the seasons when the traffic is hideous.

[BobTheSubgenius]

8. Through what did you view it?

Naked eye? Telescope??

[tavernier]

10. Naked eye. It was plenty bright, more than most planes.

Going fast as well.

[BobTheSubgenius]

13. Thanks.

I once saw Saturn through an observatory telescope, although it wasn't their main one. About a 12" lens.

Pretty disappointing, I thought. You could easily see the rings and the void space between, but it was more or less a bright spot about the diameter of a Bic pen.

[tavernier]

14. The best I ever saw (with a cheap telescope) was Jupiter

the year it was hit by the meteor. We could see the flare as it hit. Very exciting!

[SergeStorms]

9. You've never seen....

the night sky as bright and full of stars as on a boat, at night, in the Gulf of Mexico. Offshore, of course. Way offshore! It makes you wonder about your existence.

Plus. you can see some strange things out there at night!

[hibbing]

12. Is that an open invitation?

[tavernier]

15. LOL! Party at Serges tonight! Wear boat shoes!!