Space Shuttle Visible tonight Saturday 5am

Calibos

Remember last month the shuttle with jettisoned fuel tank floating below was visible climbing into orbit travelling at 17500mph over Ireland. Visible for only the second time since the Shuttle program started in the early 80's.

Well the timing of the current launch means we'll get to see the same thing again, only this time an hour before sunrise instead of an hour after Sunset like last time.

So obviously this one isn't going to be seen by as many Irish people as the last one but it sure is one for the nightowls and nightshift workers.

Get outside about 5.10am and at about 5.16am looking west, you'll see it hurtling over the horizon and then over head.

Please note. As cool as it is to see the shuttle in orbit where its only as bright as the brightest satellites, this event we will see is in a whole other league. Due to launch times and launch trajectories, we don't generally get to see it till its already in orbit and thus looks like any other satellite. ie. a bright star moving across the sky.

For the first time in '08 and for only the second time last month and the third time tonight, the particular launch trajectory and time of launch means we get to see it while its still climbing to orbit at 17500mph at only 150 miles high instead of 400. The shuttle will have taken only 18 minutes to get from Florida to Ireland. You'll see a really bright white light hurtling across the sky from West to East and underneath you will see a bright orange light that is the huge external fuel tank that was jettisoned a few minutes before, floating away from the shuttle. This tank is falling but won't land till its over the Pacific ocean!!

While watching, just picture in your minds eye the 7 Astronauts strapped in with Meat Loafs, "Like a Bat Outta Hell" Its pretty amazing when you think about it!

AlmightyCushion

Which way is west?

Sharpshooter

Which way are you facing?

G_R

AlmightyCushion wrote: »

Which way is west?

opposite east:D

soundsham

over there <-

Overheal

AlmightyCushion wrote: »

Which way is west?

Point the laptop North for a second (trans: at the road sign that says "Belfast")



....





<--- Its that way.

brummytom

Go outside at quarter past 5.. In the morning?!

Are you fucking mental?! :eek: People shouldn't be alive at that time!

AlmightyCushion

Sharpshooter wrote: »

Which way are you facing?

I'm facing the tv. What other way would I be facing?

martyboy48

^^^
Opposite to east lol...

Calibos

Do you remember a few hours ago when the Sun set? Do you remember where it set? Look in that general direction.

Calibos

brummytom wrote: »

Go outside at quarter past 5.. In the morning?!

Are you fucking mental?! :eek: People shouldn't be alive at that time!

Like I said, "One for the Nightowls and Nightshift workers only" .....oh yeah and Commuters from Wexford and Kildare

Sharpshooter

AlmightyCushion wrote: »

I'm facing the tv. What other way would I be facing?

So in a North, South, East and West situation, where is your TV in the room?

brummytom

Sharpshooter wrote: »

So in a North, South, East and West situation, where is your TV in the room?

In the corner?

AlmightyCushion

Sharpshooter wrote: »

So in a North, South, East and West situation, where is your TV in the room?

It's near the window.

glennb

AlmightyCushion wrote: »

I'm facing the tv. What other way would I be facing?

pardon me if i am wrong but i would have presumed?spell? that you were facing towards your pc monitor/laptop/mobile phone not a tv but realy without having to look round my house for a compose?spell? how could i tell if i am looking the right way is it in the same direction as the sun or is the sun in the south when it is rising

alan4cult

Is this a joke to get idiots out of bed to stare at the sky at 5 in the morning?

brummytom

alan4cult wrote: »

Is this a joke to get idiots out of bed to stare at the sky at 5 in the morning?

Shhh!!!

skelliser

no its no joke!
you can watch live here
http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html
they're getting strapped in now!!

Calibos

Actually that would be a genious prank!! But no, This is a geniune post. Thats not to say the launch couldn't be scrubbed in the next 3 hours due to weather in Florida, but at the moment all lights are green for go and Nasa reckons prospects for Launch are good. For once the Irish weather is playing ball too and we'll have clear skies to actually see it.

Remember, you may never get another chance to see a Shuttle launch like this again. The shuttle is being retired after only 5 or 6 more missions. Surely its worth climbing out of bed, putting on the slippers and popping your head outside for 2 minutes.

Calibos

Someone asked (via other channels ) why I was posting this on Afterhours of all places.

Because I thought more people than the 1 or 2 browsing the Astronomy forum might like to know. Afterhours would be the busiest forum at this hour of night I would have thought.

Sharpshooter

AlmightyCushion wrote: »

It's near the window.

I west my case.

Overheal

I always like being formed about **** like this.

Unfortunately every major astrological event I have ever been informed of I have always missed, due to cloud cover.

Sharpshooter

Overheal wrote: »

I always like being formed about **** like this.

Is that an in joke?

Time Magazine

Overheal wrote: »

Unfortunately every major astrological event I have ever been informed of I have always missed, due to cloud cover.

Get sweaty when you read the tabloids?

Overheal

Sharpshooter wrote: »

Is that an in joke?

informed.

God whats been happening to me lately? Been catching myself making more and more typos

Calibos

Yeah, I hate cloud cover always ruining Astrological events like when my Horoscope said I would meet a beautiful woman on a sunny beach and it was bloody cloudy that day:D

The clouds are always making me miss Astronomical events too!!

Overheal

Calibos wrote: »

Yeah, I hate cloud cover always ruining Astrological events like when my Horoscope said I would meet a beautiful woman on a sunny beach and it was bloody cloudy that day:D

The clouds are always making me miss Astronomical events too!!

DAMN YOU!

maybe its because I have a job now, and Im tired, from making money and getting paid :pac:

Calibos

Jaysus, I thought ya lived in the country long enough not to get too pissed off at some good honest friendly Irish slagging

Jim

I live in Dublin city centre. Any idea how visable this will be for me?

Overheal

Calibos wrote: »

Jaysus, I thought ya lived in the country long enough not to get too pissed off at some good honest friendly Irish slagging

But im angry again. Its in the water here.

RubyLamb

I always miss these kinda astronomical occurences as I'm frankly just too lazy, but you made it sound so interesting I might aswell stay awake for it at this stage

Overheal

You know what I meant!! gyah!

Fortunately the lads going up in the Shuttle tonight have had their Wheaties. Unlike me.

Calibos

Easily visible from the City Centre. Just don't stand under a streetlight. If there is a light near you, just hold up your hand to block it from view.

Were you able to see the planet Jupiter tonight? Its the really bright 'Star' to the south over the Dublin Mountains. The Shuttle will be as bright as that with an orange light as bright as that underneath and it'll be booting it across the sky.

So face the Dublin mountains and then turn to your right. You will then be facing west which is the direction the Shuttle will be coming from.

4zn76tysfajdxp

Calibos wrote: »

Easily visible from the City Centre. Just don't stand under a streetlight. If there is a light near you, just hold up your hand to block it from view.

Were you able to see the planet Jupiter tonight? Its the really bright 'Star' to the south over the Dublin Mountains. The Shuttle will be as bright as that with an orange light as bright as that underneath and it'll be booting it across the sky.

So face the Dublin mountains and then turn to your right. You will then be facing west which is the direction the Shuttle will be coming from.

I'm facing South and I can't see the Dublin mountains, what am I doing wrong?

Overheal

Korbin Broad Temperance wrote: »

I'm facing South and I can't see the Dublin mountains, what am I doing wrong?

Are you looking at the side of a building?
\

If so, try again

4zn76tysfajdxp

Overheal wrote: »

Are you looking at the side of a building?
\

If so, try again

Yeah, you're right. I should probably try going outside first.

smoke.me.a.kipper

ive never seen the shuttle or the ISS, when i was at home in ireland last i found out it was visable the night before i got there (my parents saw it). now 'aparently', you can see it here tonight, but southern germany is covered in cloud. :(

The Walsho

Thanks for posting this. I'm up until then anyway so this'll be nice.

Holopimp

I am glad I have insomnia for once, so I can check this out.

kumate_champ07

Im trying to decide whether I should go out and take a photo or will it just be a little dot in the sky I could draw in with ms paint

Calibos

Heres a video of the last one in July

Calibos

http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html

mattfender

I saw something moving around the sky earlier at like 12 or so...lucky i did some late night snooping on boards :pac:

Calibos

Heres a vid from 3 launches ago of the Jettisoned main fuel tank falling away. We'll see this as an orange light under the white light of the shuttle. The main fuel tank was jettisoned over the middle of the atlantic and is falling away but it won't hit the earth till its over the Pacific ocean on the other side of the planet!!

Calibos

mattfender wrote: »

I saw something moving around the sky earlier at like 12 or so...lucky i did some late night snooping on boards :pac:

Whatever you saw was nothing to do with the shuttle launch. You sure it wasn't the Garda Helicopter?

Calibos

Jaysus, finding it hard to keep my own eyes open at this stage. Soon as its over I'll be racing to me leaba!

OPENROAD

Very cloudy in Dublin.

mattfender

The garda helicopter that busted our rave tonight...? :pac:

No it was like a moving star. Prob a satellite

rugbyman

heading down the MI to the airport shortly. lucky to have just read this thread.
thanks for the info Calibos.

37 mins to go. hope its not like all my attempts over the years to watch the mileometer turnn ll the zeros, oops 4o miles later.
regards,Rugbyman

Calibos

mattfender wrote: »

The garda helicopter that busted our rave tonight...? :pac:

No it was like a moving star. Prob a satellite

Doh! Sorry, I get ya now mate. Somehow I read your post as, "I saw something at midnight and luckily I checked boards and found out it was the shuttle", so I'm thinkin' "No mate, it hasn't even launched yet!!"

You actually meant you logged onto boards to see did anyone else see what you saw at 12, only for you to luckily read this thread about the shuttle launch.

Calibos

rugbyman wrote: »

heading down the MI to the airport shortly. lucky to have just read this thread.
thanks for the info Calibos.

37 mins to go. hope its not like all my attempts over the years to watch the mileometer turnn ll the zeros, oops 4o miles later.
regards,Rugbyman

You want to pull in at about 5.10 for the flyover at about 5.16 though. I know there isn't much traffic at that hour but you don't want to plow into the back of someone as you stare out the car window!!