[ValleyNature] March 16 prediction or ISS and STS Visible pass schedule

[Sherman Williams]

Last evening I was fortunate to catch a few moments of the Nova  
Scotia visible version of the space shuttle, Discovery, as it was  
launched from Florida, to rendezvous with the Space Station sometime  
in a day or so.  The launch was about 20:43:44 ADT . Using my 10X50   
binoculars, between approximately 20:54 to 20:55 ADT, I was observing  
the reddish-orange glow from its pulsating thrusting engines as it  
sped across the SE sky  at an altitude of about 10 degrees.
.
The sky looks promising for seeing the pass of the ISS  and shuttle  
this evening (March 16).

Here is what I have found as a prediction (Avonport location) for the  
visible passes of the Space Station and the newly launched Space  
Shuttle (Discovery, STS 119) According to the predictions, ISS  
appears almost a half hour before the shuttle.  Keep in mind that the  
shuttle is moving to rendezvous with the space station so allow that  
the difference gets less as the rendezvous time gets closer.  
Hopefully the predictions have taken that into account.  I have given  
a couple of links where you can check the predictions for a location  
nearest you.    You may also find he Tracker link of interest.

ISS (space station)
Date 16 Mar
-1.5 mag
20:15:26 time to start looking
10 start alt
SSW start direction

20:18:08 max altitude time
33 degrees altitude (45 deg is halfway from  horizon to overhead)
SE max alt direction

20:19:55 end time
17  alt
E  direction


STS119 (shuttle)
Date 16 Mar
-1.7 Mag
20:40:10 time to start
10 start alt
SW start direction

20:42:24 time
48 max altitude (45 deg is halfway from  horizon to overhead)
SSE max direction

20:42:24 end time
48 alt
SS direction

Predictions from Heavens Above (pick a place nearest you, when link  
is achieved, look under SATELLITES   (ISS and STS 119)
http://web.mac.com/sherm39/iWeb/Site/HeavensAboveLink.html

Predictions from NASA (for Canadian places)
http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/realdata/sightings/cities/skywatch.cgi? 
country=Canada

A JAVA  real time tracker link for ISS and STS 119
http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/realdata/tracking/


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