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Ever watch the satellites?

Omega Man

Fortis Fortuna Adiuvat
Staff member
Ever watch the satellites? I bring this up because, it seems, there are people who haven't. I find it kinda amazing how much "space junk" is up there.
Of course, the satellites don't have lights so when you take a peek you are actually catching the reflection of the sun off the satellite. It works best in an area of as little light pollution as possible and just look to the east and watch for the fast moving star. I was just out closing things up for the night and saw 5.
There out there- and up there.
OM
 
I do! I have great memories of the first time my dad showed me one. Must have been 40 years ago. I amazed my girlfriend just a few years ago by showing one ! My son and I used to lay on the trampoline at night and watch for them. (we lived 'in the country' so it was plenty dark!)
 
We live 53 miles out of town, in the desert, at 3600 ft msl, in what is one of the least ight polluted locations in the United States. And have 330 suuny days and clear nights a year. So yes, we watch the sky a bit. In fact, we are going to the McDonald Observatory on Monday night to a star party of sorts.
 
Last time I actively watched was at Meat Cove half a dozen years ago. Summer night, so not exceptionally clear, but between the birds and the Milky Way, it was sweet to lie on the picnic table for awhile.
 
When I was a kid we went outside to watch Sputnik (the first man-made satellite) go overhead. Later we were able to pick up its feeble radio beacon on our ham radio receiver. There wasn't much danger of Sputnik crashing into another satellite - it was the only one up there. Now the only thing that prevents satellite traffic accidents is that they are all going in the same direction, more or less. It's quite a junkyard, though.

pete
I've learned so much from my mistakes I think I'll make a few more.
 
Last time I actively watched was at Meat Cove half a dozen years ago. Summer night, so not exceptionally clear, but between the birds and the Milky Way, it was sweet to lie on the picnic table for awhile.

As you know Tom our 'Resident Astronomer' (Salty Fog Riders Rally), Quinn, has now provided two excellent lessons on starry nights. Once in Larry's River and another at the KOA at the foot of Kelly's Mountain in Cape Breton. Now, if we can just revisit the sort of clear night in Meat Cove that you mentioned, we could have a real earth bound celestial happening at the 'edge of the earth'! - Bob
 
Taken N of Phoenix looking S. The bright light in the bottom right is Phoenix.
ImageUploadedByTapatalkHD1380487832.746004.jpg

This one is from Mt Lemmon just outside of Tucson. The side of the mountain is visible due to the ambient city light from the city.
ImageUploadedByTapatalkHD1380487892.597441.jpg
 
Watching the sky for satellites was an activity I first participated in with the Boy Scouts when my son was younger. We'd be out at camp, and the boys and leaders would just lie on our backs and watch the night sky. Fascinating stuff.
 
I remember watching them as a kid. It was a big deal then. We were at the peak of the space race between the US and the USSR.
 
Yes, I do. Being the amateur star gazer that I am, I often use the Sky Guide app when I'm on a road trip, tenting somewhere in the summer.
 
There is an app called Starwalk that H has on her IPhone, have seen it on a IPad which works better. Not sure about other tablets.

You hold it up to where you are looking in sky and it shows what's what...includes satellites...It tracks as you rotate your view.
One could get lost out on the back deck gazing with this ...I was "star-struck":laugh pretty cool I thought

The ISS swept across right before sunset the other night, only thing in view for about 6 minutes.
 
So there are little specs of light in the night sky? And some of them move? Here in Portland such things are unknown unless one stands under a street light in the rain.
 
Lots of apps and places to go for info. We sometimes show the ISS to folks who've never seen it.

In the 60s I watched (from NJ) rocket launches in VA, a few auroras and several satellites, the brightest of which was Echo (a radar ranging balloon with a key transmitter in MA). Also did some meteor watching. One night my father got curious and wanted to see Echo so I took him out for a gander and while we happened to be gazing down, all of a sudden saw our shadows on the ground- the brightest meteor I've ever seen went horizon to horizon. He thought that's what I saw when meteor watching and I couldn't bring myself to tell him you could watch for lifetimes and never see another like it.
 
Related note: there is a partial lunar eclipse Friday 10/18. I don't have details except that it will peak (?) shortly after moonrise. Anyone more astronomically knowledgeable that can fill in details?

pete
 
I have an app on my 'droid called Space Junk. Constellations, sats, etc.

Coolest thing I've seen so far was one winter night I was relaxing in the spa and saw something moving east to west. Thought it was an aircraft but, hmmmm....no position lights, no strobes. What the heck is it? Realized it was the ISS. Then not 10 seconds later, here comes another one, right behind it. No, there aren't two.......holy crap! That's the Shuttle!!

~sigh~ not a sight I'll ever see again.
 
Related note: there is a partial lunar eclipse Friday 10/18. I don't have details except that it will peak (?) shortly after moonrise. Anyone more astronomically knowledgeable that can fill in details?

pete

Eclipse will start at 1940 pm (7:40) EST on the east coast. It is only a partial not a full in the northeast anyway. For those of you who will see it ...... enjoy the show!
 
Can't see a difference yet.. but the dogs about 1/2 mile away are going nuts...

Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk
 
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