Ireland to get stunning view of space mission Tuesday and Wednesday

Comhrá

Should be a little more interesting than the usual ISS viewing:

http://www.irishexaminer.com/examviral/science-world/look-up-ireland-to-get-stunning-view-of-space-mission-tuesday-and-wednesday-323917.html

Tuesday, April 14, 2015
Dave Molloy

Good news on the horizon for skywatchers - Ireland will get a good look at tonight’s remarkable space station resupply spectacle - as a rocket chases the satellite across the sky.

And tomorrow night, we'll be in an equally good position as the ISS and Dragon shine brighter than the stars.

The Dragon spacecraft from SpaceX was due to resupply the International Space Station last night, but was postponed due to weather in Florida. It's due to take place just after 9pm Irish time tonight, Tuesday April 14, and will see the ISS traverse Irish skies while being "chased" by Dragon.

What that means is that Irish observers will be able to see two extra stars in the sky, visible even in brightly-lit cities.

Of course, they're not really stars at all, but the two man-made spacecraft. Assuming that Florida launches the Dragon craft at 9.12pm as scheduled, it should fly over Ireland at 9.30pm - with the Dragon craft in hot pursuit.

Of course, space launches are complicated affairs, and all sky watchers know nothing is guaranteed - but there is a very good chance.

Tomorrow night, Wednesday, will see both craft roll around once more, side-by-side. Astronomy Ireland says they will appear at 9.14pm Wednesday "in an absolutely stunning spectacle plainly visible to the naked eye."

Astronomy Ireland also recommend taking a look to the West after sunset, where Venus - the brightest planet in our system - is passing a star cluster known as The Seven Sisters.

"While you marvel at Venus, perhaps while you're out waiting for the space station to fly over, look just to its right and you'll see the Seven Sisters cluster with the naked eye!" said David Moore, Chairman of Astronomy Ireland.

"This week should be one of the most amazing of the year for stargazers, with the ISS and Venus and its cluster to see, all in one night," he said.

SpaceX provide live updates of the mission launch on the company's website.
Times provided by Astronomy Ireland

• Tuesday April 14, 9:12pm : Dragon launched from Florida

• Tuesday April 14, 9:30pm : Dragon crosses Irish skies low in South, not exceptionally bright

• Tuesday April 14, 10:08pm: ISS blazes across the sky, very high up, outshining every star in the sky

• Wednesday April 15, 9:14pm : ISS blazes across sky with fainter Dragon craft right next to it - an amazing sight.

Astronomy Ireland also posts updates to its ISS watch at sunset every evening - about 8pm. Check the group's website for further details.

MarkY91

cant wait!

bronn

I caught the ISS and the Cygnus (I think) re-supply last year. I didn't even know it was happening but knew the ISS was going to pass overhead. Couldn't believe my eyes when I saw this thing chasing the ISS. The next day it was much closer.

Sorry about the pic. Only had my iPhone on me. Taken from Dublin, looking due south, on August 8, 2014 at 22:25. The green arrow points to the ISS and purple to Cygnus.

FWVT

The ISS was nice. I watched go directly overhead in southern Spain last week. A perfect sight

fleet_admiral

Saw it pass over Terenure about half an hour ago

CardinalJ

I remember for one of the last shuttle missions, it passed straight over Dublin. Could see the boosters seperating from the shuttle from my garden. Mind blowing when you consider I watched it take off on TV 15 minutes earlier.

Lockheed

I saw it tonight, incredible!

CardinalJ

http://www.isstracker.com/

Would be of interest to most of you.

MarkY91

Another sighting tomorrow? Had a great view of it tonight.

I could have sworn when I seen it s few years ago, it wasn't bright, it was a different shade of dark than the sky. Why was it as bright/brighter than a start?

Poochie05

I saw the guys on ISS are getting a coffee machine in this delivery!

hytrogen

I saw the ISS passing under Saturn tonight, I was in the middle of setting up my camera & then it went behind the tree line so I ended up trying to take a few snaps of Saturn anyway. Looking forward to it tomorrow! Thanks for the heads up

Kersh

Superb!

roundymac

Poochie05 wrote: »

I saw the guys on ISS are getting a coffee machine in this delivery!

There is an Italian women astronaut on board now, she need's her expresso.:)

Tenger

CardinalJ wrote: »

I remember for one of the last shuttle missions, it passed straight over Dublin. Could see the boosters seperating from the shuttle from my garden. Mind blowing when you consider I watched it take off on TV 15 minutes earlier.

I remember that experience very well. Was on my balcony with the binocs, telling the kids that this will never be seen again....philistines!

Preset No.3

July 2009 Endeavour was visible. The only shuttle ever to be seen from Ireland in its 28 year history. We were spoiled as well as we could see the fuel tank seperate and fall back to earth.

shedweller

I followed the ISS last night with my telescope and actually saw its solar array! Boy was i grinning!!
Hoping for clear skies tonight to see it again.
I remember it passing with the shuttle after seperating too. Amazing sight.
One of the last shuttle launches was visible from here too. I was in work one night and went out to see it pass after launch. I could see the distinctive brown colour of the external tank with the brilliant blue/white of the orbiter. Image burned in my brain forever!

shedweller

roundymac wrote: »

There is an Italian women astronaut on board now, she need's her expresso.:)

Haha! Shortly after she went up she had a tele conference to earth. Her friend came on and talked to her in high speed italian but i did hear "prosecco" mentioned..
Very funny.

Tenger

shedweller wrote: »

......she had a tele conference to earth. Her friend came on and talked to her in high speed italian .....

Dont you just mean "Italian"?

shedweller

Tenger wrote: »

Dont you just mean "Italian"?

Haha! I suppose i do!

EICVD

Read this thread a little too late last night, raging! Hope the skies clear later.

knucklehead6

CardinalJ wrote: »

I remember for one of the last shuttle missions, it passed straight over Dublin. Could see the boosters seperating from the shuttle from my garden. Mind blowing when you consider I watched it take off on TV 15 minutes earlier.

I'd say you mean the External Fuel Tank rather than the boosters. They separated much earlier on in any flight, around about the minute mark.

Preset No.3 wrote: »

July 2009 Endeavour was visible. The only shuttle ever to be seen from Ireland in its 28 year history. We were spoiled as well as we could see the fuel tank seperate and fall back to earth.

Wrong. I remember seeing Challenger back in the Eighties. Plenty of Shuttle missions were visible from Ireland

jamo2oo9

knucklehead6 wrote: »

I'd say you mean the External Fuel Tank rather than the boosters. They separated much earlier on in any flight, around about the minute mark.



Wrong. I remember seeing Challenger back in the Eighties. Plenty of Shuttle missions were visible from Ireland

He said 28 years. Between 1980 and 2009, it's 29 years..

the_monkey

Bringing a coffee machine up there ?

wow .. well I suppose if they dumped a dishwasher on Mars ..

knucklehead6

jamo2oo9 wrote: »

He said 28 years. Between 1980 and 2009, it's 29 years..

Ok. So he's wrong on a number of counts then.

bronn

Bah! Stupid clouds. Hope the wind picks up and blows them away later.



If people want to know when the ISS passes over, there a very handy email list from NASA. I subscribe to it. Go to Spot the Station and sign yourselves up. It'll send you an email in good time with the details. So, for tonight the details of Dublin are:
Time: Wed Apr 15 9:12 PM
Visible: 5 min
Max Height: 52 degrees
Appears: W
Disappears: ESE

It's great because you know roughly how high up to look and in what direction. I'd love to see it with a good telescope or something but I don't own one. Might put on the list for Santa.

Reoil

Or if you want a bird's-eye view...
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/iss-hdev-payload

Preset No.3

knucklehead6 wrote: »

Wrong. I remember seeing Challenger back in the Eighties. Plenty of Shuttle missions were visible from Ireland

Gold star for you so!

knucklehead6

Preset No.3 wrote: »

Gold star for you so!

YAAAAY

Can i print it off and stick it on the fridge at home?

Oscar Bravo

Skies clearing nicely now.....could be a bit to bright for good shots but should nice and bright all the same

BorneTobyWilde

So where does one look in the south east area?

Oscar Bravo

Direct west at 9:11 pm, you will see it coming, it will pass directly overhead then

Junkyard Tom

Is that bright object in a Western direction Venus?

SCOOP 64

Seen it, but just one bright light moving across the sky.

BorneTobyWilde

I looked like one object

Storm 10

Junkyard Cat wrote: »

Is that bright object in a Western direction Venus?

Yes

Storm 10

Must have docked as I only saw one light

Comhrá

Got a good view from Limerick.....just one object tonight. Last night both vehicles were clearly visible.

SaveOurLyric

Coolio. Great view. Had never seen it before. Had dinner once with a former resident of it MIR in fact (didnt know it at the time though).

Couldnt make out the 'chaser' mentioned (sky quite bright though), or has that done its job?

bronn

I could only clearly see ISS. Was wondering was Dragon so close to it that it looked like one craft? Or was it just too cloudy to see it?

bronn

Huh? Seriously? It thought it was supposed to be very close to it. 20 minutes behind it - bah!

Tenger

bronn wrote: »

Huh? Seriously? It thought it was supposed to be very close to it. 20 minutes behind it - bah!

Well that's close in orbital terms (90 mins to do 1 full orbit)

bronn

bronn wrote: »

Huh? Seriously? It thought it was supposed to be very close to it. 20 minutes behind it - bah!

Takes about a week I think to be in position to be grabbed

nomdeboardie

eastmayo wrote: »

The Dragon passed about 20mins after the ISS

Oh...

Didn't realise that would be the case, so stopped looking after the ISS want by (ISS was bright, so that was nice, though )
Was it visible?
I didn't know about yesterday's pass in time - were they sufficiently close to see together then?

Sorry takes three days to get into position

nomdeboardie

Deleted User wrote: »

Sorry takes three days to get into position

So they will connect tomorrow or day after? (But will not be visible from Ireland?)

Bsal

For sighting times check this, you can select your closest town/city too

http://spotthestation.nasa.gov/sightings/view.cfm?country=Ireland&region=None&city=Dublin#.VS7fZPnF98E

bronn

Hmmm. From NASA, we should've seen both objects together in the sky tonight.
Dragon was up at: 9:12 PM Appearing 22 above W. Disappearing 12 above ESE
ISS was up at: 9:12 PM Appearing 22 above W. Disappearing 12 above ESE

When Dragon was launched it was about 25 mins behind it. I'd a look out again at 22:48 but the ISS was too low. Might have a better chance to spot both tomorrow even though it'll be low again.

Was much clearer and better in August. Reckon it was the low cloud that did for it.

bronn

Turns out it was "regular" Russian satellite passing at 21:20 - 21:30. Cosmos.

FWVT

Tippman, the two.objects were not clearly visible on Tuesday night, nor indeed last night. The OP had stated that Wednesday's view would be "spectacular" and that the two.objects would be side by side. I had a perfect view both nights and to me there was only 1 object.

Davidth88

OP Thanks for the post , great view last night

Comhrá

FWVT wrote: »

Tippman, the two.objects were not clearly visible on Tuesday night, nor indeed last night. The OP had stated that Wednesday's view would be "spectacular" and that the two.objects would be side by side. I had a perfect view both nights and to me there was only 1 object.

I don't recall using the word "spectacular" at any stage in my op.

My post was the link from the Irish Examiner newspaper
http://www.irishexaminer.com/examviral/science-world/look-up-ireland-to-get-stunning-view-of-space-mission-tuesday-and-wednesday-323917.html


and I cut & pasted the text for easy reading.

Here is my own remark at the top of my post:

Should be a little more interesting than the usual ISS viewing:

I also had a clear view both nights and Wed night only one object was visible but on Tue night I clearly saw what looked to be the second object alongside the ISS (on it's Southern side as I watched) and although dimmer, it was easy to see with my naked eye.