ISS Sighting

[Nowhere Man]

Probably, anyway. Southfield, Michigan, 9/26/2006, about 6:30 AM EDT. I was coming back from the local Stop 'n' Rob with the Daily Fishwrap when I spotted a bright point of light in the sky, where there usually isn't any. I was facing west, and it was about 45 degrees up and to my right (north). I moved to a better spot, so that the light was between the trees, and watched it move to ENE. At one point, it seemed to cross directly between me and a star.

Heavens Above shows that the ISS was in the right part of the sky at the right time for me. It even shows that from Southfield, ISS would have passed right in front of Polaris. I don't know if that was the star I saw it cross.

What luck.

Fred

[Rue]

maybe the ISS needs its own sticky somewhere...

[Peter Wilson]

I was gazing at full moon that nearly filled the eyepiece sometime back in January (I think), when a satellite crossed in front of the moon in silhouette. It was really cool because I have never seen a satellite appear as anything but a point of light. For about a second-and-a-half, however, its shape was perfectly outlined against bright moon. It was not a simple shape, round or oblong. Although my sighting of it was brief, I believe it was the ISS.

Probably, anyway.

[jt-3d]

maybe the ISS needs its own sticky somewhere...
I agree but it'd probably just get filled up with ISS haters.

I was gazing at full moon that nearly filled the eyepiece sometime back in January (I think), when a satellite crossed in front of the moon in silhouette. It was really cool because I have never seen a satellite appear as anything but a point of light. For about a second-and-a-half, however, its shape was perfectly outlined against bright moon. It was not a simple shape, round or oblong. Although my sighting of it was brief, I believe it was the ISS.

Probably, anyway.

I have seen that twice. Both of mine were round though. Very, very cool. Unfortunately I didn't know about Heavens Above (http://www.heavens-above.com/main.asp?Loc=San+Antonio&Lat=29.424&Lng=-98.493&Alt=196&TZ=CST) so I have no idea what they were.

[Peter Wilson]

When I saw it, I assumed it was a refrigerator-sized satellite, as most satellites are roughly that size. It was not until months later that I saw a photo of ISS and bulb went off in head, That looks like shape I saw!

After Grocking on it some more, decided that resolution may resolve the issue. Was using an 8" f/6 with 20mm eyepiece, so about 60x. There is a way to calculate it, but being lazy, I am just guessing that outline of a refrigerator-sized object would not be resolvable in low-earth orbit at 60x through 8" f/6 telescope. Ergo, it had to be ISS.

If someone wants to burst my bubble, you're welcome to do the math and prove that the outline of an ordinary-sized satellite would be clearly resolvable under said conditions. Until then, that's my story, and I'm sticking to it ;)