Nasa's SpotTheStation

[UnthinkableThinker]

Hello guys, me and my friend heard about this and I've decided to share it with you guys,

This is NASA's work and it alerts the registered users about the ISS, so you can spot it with your naked eye!

It's a simple registration on this website: http://spotthestation.nasa.gov/

Once you put your location and finish the registration part, it will automatically send you E-mails to you about When, Orientation, Time of appearance and how long will it last in the sky.

I can attest everyone here that I've seen the ISS more than once, and the timing is perfect. Unfortunately I don't have any device that aids me (telescopes, binoculars, etc) though you can clearly see it with you naked eye, it is really breath-taking and I really wanted everyone to know about it, since most of us are really enthusiasts with space and its wonders.

Have fun!

[Klingon Admiral]

I wont ever give an US agency any information about me.

[DonLorenzo]

You really don't need to, they have all of it already anyway

[UnthinkableThinker]

Unless you got something to hide from them, the information you have to disclose is minimal in comparison to all the benefits you get from actually seeing the ISS, though that is only my opinion and I don't want to turn this into a discussion.

[xzxvrx]

I just use SatelliteAR. Its an android app made by AGI, they make space simulation software for all kinds of different aerospace companies. It also lets you see other satellites aswell, one night I went out at like 3am just to see Cygnus and ISS at the same time.

[Drunken Hobo]

I use Stellarium. Have configured it so it shows position of the sky from my garden. Enable satellites and it shows exactly where & when the ISS will be visible, and as it shows the rest of the sky, it's really easy to tell where it'll be.

[Themohawkninja]

I wont ever give an US agency any information about me.

So, you've just admitted to avoiding taxes and the U.S. Census? Way to go.

[Themohawkninja]

I have seen the ISS once when the local news pointed out that it would be flying overhead at a given time. My dad and I went out and looked for it, and after a minute or so I found it. It looks the same as a very large satellite from the ground, which makes sense.

It was kinda neat.

[relin]

I signed up to get text messages. Randomly pointing out the ISS as it passes overhead is a great little party trick.

[PakledHostage]

I've gone out a couple of times to take photos of it going over. It doesn't look like much but I still think it is kind of neat. Here's one that I took of the ISS passing through Cassiopeia:

And here's one of the ISS with HTV-4 in trail (the very faint line at the left end of the brighter line that is the ISS). That time was neat because I was able to see it go over on two successive orbits, and HTV-4 was a noticeably closer on the second pass than it had been on the first. HTV-4 also gave off a brief "flare" of brightness on both passes, although I wasn't able to catch it on film.

[UnthinkableThinker]

Nice pictures, I am also planning to get it on film.

Well, yes, Stellarium is a really good engine, though you'll have to fast-forward it everytime hoping the ISS appears, though everything is valid

[Tw1]

I also have an ISS picture.

Just north of Ulladulla, NSW.

I use ISS? an android app to track it. Shows the predicted path in the sky as well, which is useful if I'm in a hilly, or built up area.

[UnthinkableThinker]

What is that trace in the sky? On my 2 ISS sightings I don't see it and I've noticed you and PakledHostage both have pictures of it with a trace.

[andrewas]

Those are long duration pictures, so ISS shows up as a trace rather than a point. If you look closely, you can see traces from the brighter stars as well.

[Klingon Admiral]

So, you've just admitted to avoiding taxes and the U.S. Census? Way to go.

Because the US are the only nation on this planet ... owait. The US encompass merely 4.5% of the worlds population on 6.4% of the total land area.

[PakledHostage]

I also have an ISS picture.

Your photo is more interesting because it is more colorful. I suspect that, at your latitude, you only ever get to see the ISS in the eastern and western skies near sunrise and sunset? I'm far enough north that we can see it in all parts of the sky over a wide range of times. In summer, we can see it pretty much any time of the night that it passes over.

Looking around online, I was able to find some pretty spectacular photos of the ISS silhouetted in the disk of the full moon or the Sun. I imagine that those shots take some very specialised timing equipment, however.

[Brenok]

Because the US are the only nation on this planet ... owait. The US encompass merely 4.5% of the worlds population on 6.4% of the total land area.

You're German, right? Why would you fear an American agency that much?

[Klingon Admiral]

You're German, right? Why would you fear an American agency that much?

The events of the last months have clearly shown that the United States of America are not a friendly nation. I am still wondering why our government hasn't demanded the casus foederis.

[UnthinkableThinker]

Oh, long duration pictures, interesting. Thanks for the answer. Like I've said before, I will try to get an ISS pass-by on video then I'll post it here, hopefully.

[Tw1]

I suspect that, at your latitude, you only ever get to see the ISS in the eastern and western skies near sunrise and sunset? I'm far enough north that we can see it in all parts of the sky over a wide range of times. In summer, we can see it pretty much any time of the night that it passes over.

It does tend to be within a few hours of the sunset. That photo was taken at 21:42, a little less than two hours after sunset. Sometimes we get two in a row, I managed to see that when I was at that same spot one year previously.

It does vary a far bit- that previous time it was more or less straight overhead.

[TheBedla]

I'm using the ISS Detector app for Android, also works fine. It's nice to have your phone buzz when 450 tons of SCIENCE zip above. If your phone has a gyroscope, you can even use it to track the position and elevation.

[Idobox]

The events of the last months have clearly shown that the United States of America are not a friendly nation. I am still wondering why our government hasn't demanded the casus foederis.

I would also like to point out the USA were (are?) spying Angela Merkel's phone, and on the EU representation at the UN.

My own country, France, is also infuriatingly silent on the subject. I imagine we are doing the same kind of nasty stuff, or even cooperate with them.

[minerman30]

I would also like to point out the USA were (are?) spying Angela Merkel's phone, and on the EU representation at the UN.

My own country, France, is also infuriatingly silent on the subject. I imagine we are doing the same kind of nasty stuff, or even cooperate with them.

It's pretty well known that most countries spy on each other. The US's program just encompasses a lot more people.

[Djsnowboy267]

I managed to catch the station just 2 days ago, passed right through Orion. I like to use http://www.heavens-above.com/, it has other predictions like iridium flares and misc. satellites too.

[PakledHostage]

... other predictions like iridium flares and misc. satellites too.

I wasn't aware that software exists to predict iridium flares until I read some of the posts in this thread a week or so ago. I was a bit skeptical about how precise they were, but I figured I'd go out and see what I could get on camera.

Clearly the predictions are pretty spot on because I was able to photograph one, where and when it was predicted to occur. They only last for a second or two, so I figure it is actually a pretty impressive demonstration of the predictions that I was able to capture one.