Can you see the shuttle returning to earth?

Question

at night time can you see the shuttle

Answer 1

I saw it reenter one night over Texas. It looked kind of like a high altitude airplane with a long contrail, but it was glowing brightly. I even got in on video with a camcorder.

Answer 2

If you check out Heavens-above website, you can get the times that the shuttle will be visible for your area. Most people get some chance to the shuttle in orbit a little after sunset or a little before sunrise.

To see the shuttle returning to Earth, you generally have to live along the path of the shuttle's return. People in Southern California can sometimes see the shuttle's re-entry into the atmosphere when the shuttle lands at Edwards.

When the shuttle lands in Florida, I know people in Texas, Louisiana, southern Miss and southern Alabama can see the re-entry (and I think it might be visible in New Mexico as well?).

Answer 3

Two websites I have found:
http://science.nasa.gov/temp/ShuttleLoc.html (but this site said cant track it because it is not in orbit. It is either in launch or landing)
and
http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/realdata/tracking/ which currently shows the status of the shuttle with the picture over the world and where it is over like the NASA channel does.

There is a site somewhere that tells you where on the horizen it will pass and what time.. but I think it only tracks while it is still in orbit, not when it comes in to land. Probably because they are flying it and steering it to land somewhere and the course could change for various reasons, and is not plotted and certain. But the site asks you to type in what city you live in, and it gives you an idea of where and when to look up in the sky to see it.. but I can't find the site now. maybe try http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/realdata/ for some good info.

Of course yes, to see it it needs to be at night, and you can also see satellites moving through the sky, they do move much faster than airplanes, and you only see them for a small section of the sky because of the way the sunlight is hitting them. You know, kindof like when the sunlight hits an airplane a certain way, and it is really bright, but then as the airplane flies, the light changes, and eventually you can't see it anymore.

Answer 4

Yes. I saw it once at 5:00 AM when I was working the night shift and was collecting a propane sample. It was still dark, and it looked like a big meteorite that glowed in various reds, greens and other colors, and that had a huge contrail. It was beautiful. You must remember that when the shuttle returns to Earth the heat tiles are protecting it from burning up, and they get heated up to produce those beautiful colors.

Answer 5

I have once seen it re-entering the atmosphere as it was dark at my observing site. Looks like a very bright and slow meteor. Shuttle comes in at a "mere" 10 km/s while meteors are from 30 to 70 km/s (Perseids are typically 60 km/s).

Answer 6

We saw the space station fly over not too long ago, was very bright and flew over really fast. My dad pointed it out to us last weekend...was really neat.

Answer 7

Yes and it was beautiful as it had started reentry and left an ionized trail.

Answer 8

yes :they seem like stars but are moveing.c sky 2night.am sure y will c.

Answer 9

yes. if your at the right place you can see it. you might need binocs though

Answer 10

ON live TV, yeah, you sure can.