Our planet has several thousand satellites and space junk floating above. In orbit around the earth. But the space station is one of the most important objects in orbit. You can find out when it will orbit within sight of your region (home).
If you go to "heavens above" on the net you can log in and find out just about what time the space station will be in your area. Remember the space station goes by the letters "ISS". Your thoughts please.
2007-10-21 11:37:14 · 19 answers · asked by Tinman12 6 in Society & Culture ➔ Cultures & Groups ➔ Senior Citizens
I have seen the space station many times! I love to sit outside on a summer night and watch the stars! My husband and I will have a bit of a contest to see who spots the most satellites. Just this summer I was able to bring my telescope outside and see the wonders of the sky close up. It was amazing!
2007-10-21 11:57:00 · answer #1 · answered by noonecanne 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Well if earth were to be stationary, then there would be impossible to have geostationary satellites in orbit at all. Gravity works as force that pulls towards the center of earth. So a stationary satellite would require a constant thrust upward to maintain its stationary position. Since planet is rotating, that means that satellite can keep fall constantly, and travel sideways at the same rate as earth rotates. This allows satellite to constantly fall, and maintain its geosynchronous orbit around the earth, without the required constant thrust upwards. And since satellites don't have much fuel with them. So if Earth were stationary, that would make them very inefficient and very expensive. ,
2016-05-24 01:43:31 · answer #2 · answered by margarite 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yup. I'm a former telescope maker and love looking at the night sky. Haven't seen the space station yet, but did see a shuttle, once. One time I was focused on M13 and a satellite passed through my field of view. Wow! You could see the solar panels and antennae. I enjoy meteor showers best of all. Clear skies to ya!
2007-10-22 17:15:54 · answer #3 · answered by Thomas E 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I've done this many, many times. Was out at 5:45 AM today looking at the sky. It was just beautiful.
I watch the meteor showers regularly and it's even better when I'm out on the desert, away from the lights.....just georgeous.
Oops! There goes my sense of wonder again!
2007-10-22 20:32:07 · answer #4 · answered by Cranky 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
yes I have seen lots of them including the space station We live in the boothill of n.m. and saw the space shuttle when it entered, it glowed red and left a vapor trail across the sky early in the morning.We all so have seen the shuttle fly over on top of the 747 on it's way back from cal.You drive 5 miles from town and be out of the lights.
2007-10-22 08:03:10 · answer #5 · answered by gggggg 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I am very far from the city lights, so I can see so many things when I gaze into the night sky. I may be looking at satellites, I guess I never thought of that though.
Every now and then, the Northern Lights are visiable where I live. Now, let me tell you, if you have never witnessed that, you become very humbled, very fast.
2007-10-21 14:10:36 · answer #6 · answered by Gladys 6 · 4⤊ 0⤋
Tinman,
I have hd the opportunity to view the "ISS' on several occasions as it glides across the clear night skies of South Texas.
I get a thrill (cheap) each time I see it.
I will check out "Heaven above"
2007-10-21 13:11:06 · answer #7 · answered by Robert W 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I agree with Gladys. I saw a pale northern lights display once from right here in Toronto. I wasn't even out of my teens then. I always remembered it though, so when I had occasion to venture up to Cold Lake, Alberta (which is 300 miles north of Edmonton, about) in mid-fall season I didn't spend a whole lot of time visiting my friends after all...most of my time was spent gazing at the INCREDIBLE display of the northern lights as it lit up the WHOLE SKY!! It was truly amazing to have those bobbing ribbons of colour dancing above your head from horizon to horizon. I remarked that I had heard that the lights would "dance" to a whistled tune, almost seeming to come down to grasp it as it left your lips...so of course we all had to try that...AND IT WORKED! We had one very wide ribbon of mauve dip down right towards us, until we all stopped whistling at once and started saying "wow" instead.
Make a trip north just once in your life Tinman, and take that spectacle in. It will be well worth your while...
http://www.northern-lights.no/
2007-10-21 14:42:05 · answer #8 · answered by Susie Q 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Aw shucks. Seeing you reminded me that I meant to slip outdoors to look for a meteor shower, and I forgot. I'm a night-owl anyway, and I was up, it just slipped my mind!
I've been known to park a chair in the back yard and watch a lunar eclipse. I wouldn't know a satellite from a constellation. I'm not astronomically knowledgeable.
2007-10-21 11:49:01 · answer #9 · answered by felines 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
have not done that at night because I have to go to bed by 9 and get up at 530 usually. too tired to sit out late at nite . but wish I could see it once. very interesting. of course I would not know a satellite from a star. yes im blond.
2007-10-21 11:45:07 · answer #10 · answered by Aloha_Ann 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋