Saturday 5 November 2011

Space

With clear skies at the end of October, it was possible to see the International Space Station as it passed overhead.  It was an impressive sight, although fleeting, lasting only a couple of minutes, but the sun reflected from it's surface shone rather brightly, especially on the evening of 30th.  When you see it pass by, it's humbling to think that there are actually 6 people on board that thing, hurtling along at 17,239 mph and at a height of between about 211 and 242 miles.  I managed to get a couple of long-exposure pictures (about 15 seconds) as it passed and left a light streak across the frame.  This one, seen passing just below the cross of the constellation Cygnus, the Swan.
It's tricky to get an idea of what it means to travel at such a speed, until you think that it does an orbit of the earth in 91 minutes!
Want to know when to look out for it?  Log on to http://www.heavens-above.com and put in your location to get a timetable of visible passes of the ISS and other satellites as well as info on all aspects of the Solar System.

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