G'day ISS Friends,

The coming week will be a first for ISS , who will be making three - 6 minute runs over our beautiful Caribbean sky and breathtaking USVIs below! Visitors: Please share these sightings with your friends and family back home (ISS and the VIs - you can't top that!)

TUES. 6-5-12
Time: 8:27 pm
A 6 minute run @ 45 degrees over the horizon
Arrival from the WSW and Departure to the NNE (WSW to NNE)

WED. 6-6-12
Time: 7-32 pm
A 6 minute run @ 60 degrees (near overhead) over the horizon
Arrival from the SSW and Departure to the NE (SSW to NE)

FRI. 6-8-12
Time: 7:20 pm
A 6 minute run @ 35 degrees over the horizon
Arrival from the WSW and Departure to the NNE (WSW to NNE)

Use a cellphone clock for timing.
Six crew are currently aboard.

"GIVE 'EM A WAVE!"

Thank you Houston
Swan



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/03/2012 11:09AM by swans.

I think that we are going to be able to see the transit of Venus today!
[www.transitofvenus.org]

Swans--any insight on what time it will happen down here?

Most of the transit will happen at the same time everywhere on earth, although the start and end will vary by a few minutes or seconds, depending on location. You mainly have to account for time zone differences.

From [datelinenews.org] :

"...this Venus transit of 2012 will start at 6:04 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday, June 5 and will last for around 7 hours."

"Viewers in North America will see Venus start to cross the sun in the late afternoon on Tuesday, but the sun will set with the planet still in transit. Observers in Europe, Africa, and western Australia, meanwhile, will see the sun rise Wednesday morning with Venus already on its face."

The obvious advice is NOT to stare at the sun, but you might get away with a glimpse when the sun is just above the horizon, like when you're watching for a green flash.

ps. thanks guys!!! i finally got the smiley faces!!

I saw it last night here in PR. It was awesome! Much better than I expected. I wish I could have seen it with the Dragon capsule attached! Go Space X. Can't wait to see it tonight.

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Jeff Kruse
I saw it last night here in PR. It was awesome! Much better than I expected. I wish I could have seen it with the Dragon capsule attached! Go Space X. Can't wait to see it tonight.

Hi Jeff,
The sighting specifics for ISS over PR are very much in line with the VI (as should be expected) . And yes...SpaceX is a very determined entity in itself!

Enjoy tonight! She will be higher in the sky..

WED. 6-6-12
Time: 7-33 pm
A 6 minute run @ 60 degrees (near overhead) over the horizon
Arrival from the SSW and Departure to the NE (SSW to NE)

Swan

The Mute Swan: "A Spirit's Elegant Splendour" - but the 'Promise To Survive' exists within the Soul of the Migrating Bird.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/06/2012 03:00PM by swans.

Hi Swans,

THANK YOU so much for posting this info. I sent it to all my friends and also posted it on our homeschool site. It was great to see them. We will watch again on Friday. Any ideas on a beginners telescope for my child to use in order to see the ISS and other "stuff" better?

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usvichic
Hi Swans,

THANK YOU so much for postin!g this info. I sent it to all my friends and also posted it on our homeschool site. It was great to see them. We will watch again on Friday. Any ideas on a beginners telescope for my child to use in order to see the ISS and other "stuff" better?

G'morning usvichic,
Thank you for your interest in ISS!

As you can imagine, the selection of a telescope that can meet your needs is not only important, but can be daunting. There is a very wide selection of products and several superb companies. I highly recommend you contact a company representative to discuss your needs before investing. I also would NOT purchase a "department store" telescope, even for use by a child.

Sunny brings forth some important factors below.
Swan
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

SunnyCaribe [ PM ]
Re: Telescope Recommendations for Stargazing in Our Climate?
February 02, 2012 11:56AM Registered: 1 year ago
Posts: 287

The best answer for you depends on many factors which you don't specify.

The only universally disappointing selection is the crappy and ubiquitous department store telescope with its wobbly base or tripod, its insanely high advertised magnification, its microscopic eyepieces, and so on.

For beginning stargazers I always recommend starting with a good pair of astro binoculars, which can be found inexpensively and which will serve double duty for birdwatching and horizon watching during the day. You'll get the most bang for your buck by far with them. If you have a steady hand you can hold 11x70 or even 15x70 binos for a while without a tripod or monopod. Evenings on a lawn chair with binos can provide you with some of the most delightful stargazing you'll find. Bigbonoculars.com offers a wide range, with the two sizes I mentioned priced below $150 and even their new 20x80's at under $200. Their optics are decent and they will last several years before the interior chamber and surfaces get hazy from humidity/dust/mold.

Here I'll mention that stargazing, contrary to what many people believe, is less about magnification (ie making far objects appear near) than it is about making dim things appear bright. The cross-sectional area where the telescope gathers its light is called its aperture, and the more light any scope collects to focus into the eyepiece(ie the larger the aperture), the richer the observing experience will be. For example, our nearest galactic neighbor, the Andromeda galaxy, takes up way more sky, by several times, than the full moon, but we cannot see it well because it is so faint. Many amateur astronomers believe that aperture is everything. Unless you want to get into astrophotography, I agree.

There are two general types of telescopes: refractors (long tubes with lenses in them) and reflectors (fat tubes with mirrors in them). From this you can guess that reflectors offer the larger apertures. At the low end of the market, for the novice, I suggest getting a reflector. There are all sorts of configurations of reflectors, from the dead-simple newtonian to the common commercial schmidt-cassegrains you find in Meades or Celestrons. You can make a Newtonian yourself and have a better scope than you can buy for the same money, if you're careful. If you go that route, have your optics overcoated, so they can be easily cleaned without worry. Store-bought Newtonians have the disadvantage of being hard to take apart and clean, while being exposed to the elements. But they're cheap.

Moving up from there are a number of schmidt-cassegrain telescopes (again mainly by Meade and Celestron) which have the advantage of being enclosed, if not sealed, and being very compact for their aperture. Further, most of these telescopes come with sturdy bases or tripods and a computer controlled drive which will not only keep up with the Earth's rotation, but will point you all the sights the sky has to offer with the push of a button. This feature adds cost, but many feel it is well worth it. Schmidt-Cassegrains are serviceable (with difficulty) and so should last long enough to justify the investment. Meade has a line of small table-top computer scopes called the ETX, but frankly I would invest in something with a minimum 6" aperture to be worth the trouble. Eight inches seems to be the ideal compromise between viewing quality and convenient portability. You have to be able to pack the thing up easily, after all. Nothing you can buy will last a month left on the porch in the elements.

I know of several of these on StX and none has failed due to rust. One particularly ancient one has lost its computer but the clock drive (which keeps up with the earth's rotation) still clicks on.

Good luck. Hope this helps. Feel free to ask me further q's on- or off-line.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/07/2012 07:01AM by swans.

G'day ISS Friends,

Just a reminder about ISS tonight. Following this flyover, she will be gone from the VIs for awile.

FRI. 6-8-12
Time: 7:21 pm
A 6 minute run @ 35 degrees over the horizon
Arrival from the WSW and Departure to the NNE (WSW to NNE)

Thank you for your interest in ISS!

"Give 'em a wave!"
Swan

saw the space station here in vermont last night. i think around 9ish. still light out. passing over tonight as well. will give a wave from the green mountain state.

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DixieChick
saw the space station here in vermont last night. i think around 9ish. still light out. passing over tonight as well. will give a wave from the green mountain state.

Dixie,
You have amazing ISS sightings in Vermont!
Tonight, for instance, you have two opportunities:

FRI - 6/8/12
@ 9:02 pm - a 6 minute run
@35 degrees over the horizon
From the SSW to ENE

@ 10:38pm - a 6 minute run
@ 40 degrees over the horizon
From the West to the NE

Yes... "Give 'em a 'big, green-mountain state' wave!"

Swan

G'day Everyone,

On Friday and Sunday evening ISS will return to the USVI. After some thought, I decided to post the Fri. schedule although she will be a bit low over the horizon; she will, however, have a decent run time. Sunday's sighting will be nice!
I also reposted an ISS Tracker link below the listed schedules.

FRIDAY - June 29th
@ 7:53pm
a 3 min run @ 20 degrees over the horizon
Arriving from the North and Departing to the ENE (N to ENE)

SUNDAY - July 1st
@ 7:42pm
a 4 min run @ 70 degrees over the horizon - near overhead,
Arriving from the NNW and Departing to the SE (NNW ro SE)

[www.isstracker.com]

"Give 'em a wave!"

Thank you Houston...
Swan

Tonight ISS will glide by and then return to AM visits once again:

Tonight:
At 7:32pm
A 4 minute run @ 30 degrees over the horizon
Arrival from the WEST; Departure to the SOUTH (W to S)

...you know the drill...
Swan

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swans
Tonight ISS will glide by and then return to AM visits once again:

Tonight:
At 7:32pm
A 4 minute run @ 30 degrees over the horizon
Arrival from the WEST; Departure to the SOUTH (W to S)

...you know the drill...
Swan

While waiting for ISS, how about a quick game of Jeopardy!

1. ANSWER: About 1000mph
2. ANSWER: Between 500 and 1500lbs.
3. ANSWER: Approximately 8900.

Questions?

What is, "Those answers seem too ambiguous to have one correct question?"

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swans

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swans
Tonight ISS will glide by and then return to AM visits once again:

Tonight:
At 7:32pm
A 4 minute run @ 30 degrees over the horizon
Arrival from the WEST; Departure to the SOUTH (W to S)

...you know the drill...
Swan

While waiting for ISS, how about a quick game of Jeopardy!

1. ANSWER: About 1000mph
2. ANSWER: Between 500 and 1500lbs.
3. ANSWER: Approximately 8900.

Questions?

Questions #1, 2, &3 are three separate Questions requiring three separate Answers.
Each, however, is in some way related to the planet Earth.

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swans

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swans

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swans
Tonight ISS will glide by and then return to AM visits once again:

Tonight:
At 7:32pm
A 4 minute run @ 30 degrees over the horizon
Arrival from the WEST; Departure to the SOUTH (W to S)

...you know the drill...
Swan

While waiting for ISS, how about a quick game of Jeopardy!

1. ANSWER: About 1000mph
2. ANSWER: Between 500 and 1500lbs.
3. ANSWER: Approximately 8900.

Questions?

Questions #1, 2, &3 are three separate Questions requiring three separate Answers.
Each, however, is in some way related to the planet Earth.

Does this have to do with John Forces dragster? lol

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swans
While waiting for ISS, how about a quick game of Jeopardy!

1. ANSWER: About 1000mph
2. ANSWER: Between 500 and 1500lbs.
3. ANSWER: Approximately 8900.

Questions?

Here are my earth-related questions:

1. What is the speed of a skydiver in the earth's upper atmosphere?
2. What are the capacities of a 1/4 ton pickup truck, a 1/2 ton pickup truck, and a 3/4 ton pickup truck, at sea level, on earth?
3. How many times does lightning strike the earth in 89 seconds?

Question # 1. What is how fast does the earth spin at the equator.

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dougtamjj
Question # 1. What is how fast does the earth spin at the equator.

JJ, Tam: You're absolutely correct! The speed is somewhat varied depending where one is located on the planet, but the rotational velocity at the equator is just slightly over 1000mph. EXCELLENT!
Swan

Question # 2. I don't have the answer yet but trying to beat hubby so I am throwing out something to do with gravitational pull or force. I got number 1 all by myself. Hope it is right.

Question # 3. By how many miles did asteroid 2012KT42 miss earth on May 29th 2012?

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dougtamjj
Question # 3. By how many miles did asteroid 2012KT42 miss earth on May 29th 2012?

Wow! You are really on target and just grazed the "bullseye" Tammy. YES..this Answer related to asteroids; but I did not have your particular asteroid, 2012KT42 in mind. At 8900 miles from Earth, an asteroid would most likely get caught in the planet's gravity and impact the planet.

You are so so very close...hint: 8900 has nothng to do with speed(s). or distances in miles or kilometers.
Swan



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/03/2012 08:57PM by swans.

Question #2 from Doug. What is the atmospheric pressure per square inch surrounding the core of a lightening strike?