wheels 543 Posted December 26, 2016 Share Posted December 26, 2016 The International Space Station is directly over NZ tonight at 9.39PM.Hopefully it is clear skies for where ever you are are. It's not often we get a heads up it is coming and the last time it flew over us was back in September. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Kiwifish 30 Posted December 26, 2016 Share Posted December 26, 2016 Down load the free app, Sky view. Shows planets, constellations huble and the ISS. Just point phone up, aim at something bright and it tells you what it is, The kids love it (and the big kids) We watched it go over awhile ago, the app is about 15mins behind, but it shows the trajectory aswell so is easy to find the bright star like heap of space station moving across the sky. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
darkside 61 Posted December 26, 2016 Share Posted December 26, 2016 Yep saw it fly over at Opito Bay Quote Link to post Share on other sites
harrytom 650 Posted December 26, 2016 Share Posted December 26, 2016 xmas eve thought it was iss at 10.00pm very bright in the west,turned out to be according to phones sky map venus Quote Link to post Share on other sites
wheels 543 Posted December 26, 2016 Author Share Posted December 26, 2016 xmas eve thought it was iss at 10.00pm very bright in the west,turned out to be according to phones sky map venus Hhehe, yeah the difference is, the ISS moves. As for the rest of you, I don't think what you saw was the ISS. Firstly, it moves fast. I think from memory, it covers the sky in something like 7seconds. Secondly, it is not on an orbit that takes it over the same flight path each time it circles. So hence the last time it went over NZ, was last September. So if you think you saw it Christmas eve or any other time other than 9.39 last night, you likely saw some other Satellite. Or a Plane. Or maybe....a UFO That app sounds like a great thing to have. If one had a smart phone that is. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Kiwifish 30 Posted December 26, 2016 Share Posted December 26, 2016 Haha wasn't a UFO, the government doesn't fly them over Xmas holidays... When we saw it last time it was moving pretty quick, not 7secinds quick, took around 4-5mins to go over, and you can see it over a few days. At that speed it gets a few laps in before its orbit changes enough to leave our skies. https://spotthestation.nasa.gov/sightings/view.cfm?country=New_Zealand®ion=None&city=Christchurch#.WGFdd-vXerU Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Kiwifish 30 Posted December 26, 2016 Share Posted December 26, 2016 Aucklands ISS timetable https://spotthestation.nasa.gov/sightings/view.cfm?country=New_Zealand®ion=None&city=Auckland#.WGFfp-vXerU Quote Link to post Share on other sites
darkside 61 Posted December 26, 2016 Share Posted December 26, 2016 Yes last night, yes 9.39pm but visible for about 30 seconds I guess. It's been up there for nearly 20 years now. We had a great view of it while doing a trans tasman a quite a few years ago. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
madyottie 82 Posted December 27, 2016 Share Posted December 27, 2016 The ISS passes over NZ airspace quite often. It orbits at around 410km altitude and travels at about 27,500km/h. I have Astroviewer on my phone and check it when I think of it. You get a view for about 30 seconds to a minute depending on where it is, and it can be pretty hard to spot, especially if you're in an area with a lot of light pollution. Really it just looks like any other high flying fast plane. As mentioned earlier, it follows a pretty weird orbit pattern, weaving it's way up and down the planet. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
wheels 543 Posted December 27, 2016 Author Share Posted December 27, 2016 It orbits at around 410km altitude and travels at about 27,500km/h. So just out of my stone throwing reach then. Maybe if I use a slingshot. What about a green laser? I wonder if they would see one pointed at them?I wonder how much trouble one could get themselves in if they did Quote Link to post Share on other sites
madyottie 82 Posted December 27, 2016 Share Posted December 27, 2016 Hmmm I'm thinking they'd be just outside caa jurisdiction so you should get away with it. Quite hard to pinpoint the little dot without a pretty good scope though. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Deep Purple 512 Posted December 27, 2016 Share Posted December 27, 2016 Aucklands ISS timetable https://spotthestation.nasa.gov/sightings/view.cfm?country=New_Zealand®ion=None&city=Auckland#.WGFfp-vXerU Can't wait to see it on the 32nd of January Quote Link to post Share on other sites
harrytom 650 Posted December 27, 2016 Share Posted December 27, 2016 Can't wait to see it on the 32nd of January 2017 going to be a strange year then,what february is only 27 days? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Kiwifish 30 Posted December 27, 2016 Share Posted December 27, 2016 Can't wait to see it on the 32nd of January Classic! Didn't even notice that, It falls on a week day too, urrgggghh, work enough days as it is,now they make another workday! might ask the boss for a day off on the 32nd, sure he will be ok with it? Dam NASA what next? Make an hour 70 mins?... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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