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Index of Subjects --Apple-Mail-14-563296406 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; delsp=yes; format=flowed I have just nicely arrived inside after a bit of star gazing with some friends. A beautiful clear sky, lots of stars, Mars and Saturn. OBSERVED PASS OF ISS AND SPACE SHUTTLE, BUT NOT JULES VERNE However, regarding the Three Space Craft: we did not manage to spot the ATV (Jules Verne) re-supply vehicle, it apparently was too dim for us to see before it entered Earth's shadow or else eyesight was just not sharp enough. We had an excellent horizon to work with. Right on time, we had no difficulty spotting the ISS. It was very low, but quite bright. Moments later we picked up the space shuttle, a bit dimmer, coming along behind. They were in sight only briefly; each disappeared in turn, into Earth's shadow located under the hind leg and tail of Orion's Big Dog (Canis Major with the very bright star, Sirius). WE ALSO SAW SATURN AND REGULUS Our little group spent the next half hour wondering through the constellations. Of particular note was LEO. LEO rising high in the southeast, in mid-evening, is A SURE SIGN OF SPRING! even though tonight's frigid air was biting our fingers. This spring LEO is a little more special, his brightest star, REGULUS, has a PARTNER. Saturn is with Regulus, forming a nice BRIGHT PAIR above the southeast during mid-evening (Saturn is the brighter and the most east of the two), you can't miss it. By MIDNIGHT they are high in the SOUTH. This is a great opportunity to see the result of planetary motion. Over the next month, observe as Saturn gets closer to Regulus . Saturn is really moving eastward (between 10 and 12 km per sec) but because we, on our little planet Earth, are whipping by Saturn at a pretty good clip (about 30 km per sec along our orbit inside Saturn's), an angular shift of Saturn is created against the star background. This causes Saturn to look as if it is moving westward, drawing closer to Regulus. WATCH FOR YOURSELF, over the next month, as this motion continues. Late April - early May Saturn will appear to resume its eastward motion. Sherman Sherman Williams shermw@xcountry.tv On 25/03/2008, at 6:38 PM, Sherman Williams wrote: > There is a very narrow window for an unusual viewing of the Space > Station this evening along with 2 other craft leading in the same > orbit. Just after 9 p.m. all three will pass through the low > south west sky (not really a good view window). Moments after each > comes in view they run into Earth's shadow which renders them out > of sight (no reflecting sunlight). > > (Not a very favourable pass for Atlantic Canada) Normally I would > not even bother bringing such a pass to the attention of others but > because of the 3 space craft in tandem it is an unusual view and a > real viewing challenge. Here are the details. Spaceweather dot > Com has a report http://www.spaceweather.com/ > too. > > Track comes from low in the SOUTHWEST and ends in the SOUTH, lasts > at best 20 sec to a half minute > > The Jules Verne (ATV) craft first between 9:02:17 p.m.and 9:02:39 > p.m. and gets no higher than 12 to 13 degrees above the horizon > (mid Nova Scotia) Tis is a new supply vessel launched recently. > > The Space Station next (ISS) between 9:06: 37 p.m. and 9:06:55 p.m. > max altitude 12 degrees > > and trailing at the end, the space shuttle Endeavour (STS-123) > between 9:06:54 p.m. and 9:07:13,p.m. max altitude 12 degrees > > This is an extremely narrow window in which to view. You must have > a clear, low southwestern horizon and observe closely. > > Good look to those who try, if you get this message in time. > > --Apple-Mail-14-563296406 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1 <html><body style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; = -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "> I have just nicely arrived inside after a bit of star gazing with some = friends. =A0A beautiful clear sky, lots of stars, Mars and = Saturn.<div><br class=3D"webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div>OBSERVED = PASS OF ISS AND SPACE SHUTTLE, BUT NOT JULES VERNE</div><div>However, = regarding the Three Space Craft: =A0we did not manage to spot the ATV = (Jules Verne) re-supply vehicle, it apparently was too dim for us to see = before it entered Earth's shadow or else eyesight was just not sharp = enough. =A0 We had an excellent horizon to work with.=A0</div><div><br = class=3D"webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div>Right on time, we had no = difficulty spotting the ISS. It was very low, but quite bright. =A0Moments= later we picked up the space shuttle, a bit dimmer, coming along = behind. =A0They were in sight only briefly; each disappeared in turn, = into Earth's shadow located under the hind leg =A0and tail of Orion's = Big Dog (Canis Major with the very bright star, Sirius).</div><div><br = class=3D"webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div>WE ALSO SAW SATURN AND = REGULUS</div><div>Our little group spent the next half hour wondering = through the constellations. =A0Of particular note was LEO. =A0=A0LEO = rising high in the southeast, in mid-evening, is A SURE SIGN OF SPRING! = =A0even though tonight's frigid air was biting our fingers. =A0 This = spring LEO is a little more special, his brightest star, REGULUS, has a = PARTNER. =A0 =A0Saturn is with Regulus, forming a nice BRIGHT PAIR above = the southeast during mid-evening (Saturn is the brighter and the most = east of the two), you can't miss it. =A0 By MIDNIGHT they are high in = the SOUTH.=A0</div><div><br = class=3D"webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div>This is a great = opportunity to see the result of planetary motion. =A0Over the next = month, observe as Saturn gets closer to Regulus . =A0Saturn is really = moving eastward (between 10 and 12 km per sec) but because we, on our = little planet Earth, are whipping by Saturn at a pretty good clip (about = 30 km per sec along=A0our orbit inside Saturn's), an angular shift of = Saturn is created against the star background. =A0This causes Saturn to = look as if it is moving westward, drawing closer to Regulus. =A0WATCH = FOR YOURSELF, over the next month, as this motion continues. =A0Late = April - early May Saturn will appear to resume its eastward = motion.</div><div><br = class=3D"webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div>Sherman</div><div><br><div> = <span class=3D"Apple-style-span" style=3D"border-collapse: separate; = border-spacing: 0px 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; = font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: = normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: auto; = -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-indent: 0px; = -apple-text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; orphans: 2; = white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; "><div>Sherman = Williams</div><div><a = href=3D"mailto:shermw@xcountry.tv">shermw@xcountry.tv</a></div><div><br = class=3D"khtml-block-placeholder"></div><br = class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"></span> </div><br><div><div>On = 25/03/2008, at 6:38 PM, Sherman Williams wrote:</div><br = class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type=3D"cite">There is a = very narrow window for an unusual viewing of the Space Station this = evening along with 2 other craft leading in the same orbit. =A0 Just = after 9 p.m. all three will pass through the low south west sky (not = really a good view window).=A0Moments after each comes in view they run = into Earth's shadow which renders them out of sight (no reflecting = sunlight).=A0<div><br class=3D"webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div>(Not = a very favourable pass for Atlantic Canada)=A0Normally I would not even = bother bringing such a pass to the attention of others but because of = the 3 space craft in tandem it is an unusual view and a real viewing = challenge. =A0Here are the details. =A0Spaceweather dot Com has a = report=A0<a = href=3D"http://www.spaceweather.com/">http://www.spaceweather.com/</a></di= v><div>too.</div><div><br = class=3D"webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div>Track comes from low in = the SOUTHWEST and ends in the SOUTH, lasts at best 20 sec to a half = minute</div><div><br class=3D"webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div>The = Jules Verne (ATV) craft first between 9:02:17 p.m.and 9:02:39 p.m. and = gets no higher than 12 to 13 degrees above the horizon (mid Nova Scotia) = =A0Tis is a new supply vessel launched recently.</div><div><br = class=3D"webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div>The Space Station next = (ISS) between 9:06: 37 p.m. and 9:06:55 p.m.=A0max altitude 12 = degrees</div><div><br class=3D"webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div>and = trailing at the end, the space shuttle =A0Endeavour (STS-123) between = =A09:06:54 p.m. and 9:07:13,p.m. =A0max altitude 12 = degrees</div><div><br class=3D"webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div>This = is an extremely narrow window in which to view. You must have a clear, = low southwestern horizon and observe closely.</div><div><br = class=3D"webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div>Good look to those who = try, if you get this message in = time.</div><div><br><br></div><div></div></blockquote></div><br></div></bo= dy></html>= --Apple-Mail-14-563296406--
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