This morning (Monday, August 6^th) at 0521hrs I was lucky enough to see the ISS (International Space Station) approaching from West North West (over the Modesto area) and heading towards Fresno. Although I haven’t kept up with the schedule, I was pretty sure what it was and later confirmed it online.

What was different about this viewing opportunity was that the morning light was behind the rapidly departing bright object and I could actually detect a physical object reflecting the morning sun that had not illuminated the earth in this region yet. (Of course the fact the telescope was still assembled and on the tripod with the correct lens sure helped!) Amazing! 230 miles up there orbiting the Earth.

Here’s some interesting information on the ISS:

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/index.html

Here’s the schedule to find the best viewing times in your location (Country/State/City):

http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/realdata/sightings/index.html

MARIPOSA COUNTY VIEWING:

http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/realdata/sightings/cities/view.cgi?country=United_States&region=California&city=Mariposa

For those of you interested, tonight at 2159hrs (9:59PM) you can get a great 6 minute view (open sky without vertical obstructions) of the ISS as it passes over Mariposa County again from WSW to NE with the maximum elevation being 44 degrees.

You can also track PROGRESS47P – 5 minutes at 8:48 PM (S to ENE) and then for 4 minutes at

10:24PM (W to N) but both passes are only 27 degrees at maximum elevation.

Here’s information on the Russian robot Progress program (re-supplies the space station).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Progress_flights

Good viewing!

My best to you and yours, Lew