Post by skizicks on May 28, 2018 2:37:52 GMT
Simply put, does the ISS move at different speeds at different points in its orbit?
My wife and I both enjoy watching the sky. We have both spent many happy hours doing so. We have both seen the ISS pass over and every time I have seen it, it has been a single point of light that moves briskly across the sky.
A few night ago, late last week, the ISS was to pass over from NNW to NNE, well to the north of us but within sight. This was to happen about sunset with the western sky still very brightly lit.
While I was occupied my wife, who is staying with an elderly aunt, went onto their porch and sat to watch it pass.
At the appointed time she saw nothing. Then she spotted a very bright spot in the sky slightly north east of her but it wasn't moving like the ISS. In fact it was all but motionless, and if it hadn't appeared to her next to a close by TV tower she would have said it was motionless. After some time she said it did move very slowly eastward as the tower seemed to move westward away from it. She also described a faint flashing as if it carried lights or was moving or spinning.
She called me and, taking the phone and a pair of 10x50 glasses I went to look. I looked to the north and saw nothing. from my deck I have an open sky to the north from north west to east by north east. Seeing nothing I asked her again where it was and she repeated it was just east of north and moving east. Walking north I moved to a place where I could see to the west and there I saw a very bright spot. It was maybe 50 degrees above the horizon and just north of west to me. As we talked I looked through the glasses. What I saw was a bright dot and adjusting the focus I got the impression that I could see a line extending from the sides of the object looking almost like Saturn with the rings slightly tilted. I recalled hearing that a planet would be in opposition and would appear very bright.
I told the wife what I saw and that it was probably a planet.
Later I realized my mistake. It was just east of her location.
Since it was west of me, and we were only about 20 miles apart it could not be a planet unless one had dropped out of orbit. So I may have missed a chance to share an unknown with the wife.
Bummer.
My wife and I both enjoy watching the sky. We have both spent many happy hours doing so. We have both seen the ISS pass over and every time I have seen it, it has been a single point of light that moves briskly across the sky.
A few night ago, late last week, the ISS was to pass over from NNW to NNE, well to the north of us but within sight. This was to happen about sunset with the western sky still very brightly lit.
While I was occupied my wife, who is staying with an elderly aunt, went onto their porch and sat to watch it pass.
At the appointed time she saw nothing. Then she spotted a very bright spot in the sky slightly north east of her but it wasn't moving like the ISS. In fact it was all but motionless, and if it hadn't appeared to her next to a close by TV tower she would have said it was motionless. After some time she said it did move very slowly eastward as the tower seemed to move westward away from it. She also described a faint flashing as if it carried lights or was moving or spinning.
She called me and, taking the phone and a pair of 10x50 glasses I went to look. I looked to the north and saw nothing. from my deck I have an open sky to the north from north west to east by north east. Seeing nothing I asked her again where it was and she repeated it was just east of north and moving east. Walking north I moved to a place where I could see to the west and there I saw a very bright spot. It was maybe 50 degrees above the horizon and just north of west to me. As we talked I looked through the glasses. What I saw was a bright dot and adjusting the focus I got the impression that I could see a line extending from the sides of the object looking almost like Saturn with the rings slightly tilted. I recalled hearing that a planet would be in opposition and would appear very bright.
I told the wife what I saw and that it was probably a planet.
Later I realized my mistake. It was just east of her location.
Since it was west of me, and we were only about 20 miles apart it could not be a planet unless one had dropped out of orbit. So I may have missed a chance to share an unknown with the wife.
Bummer.
