STS-120: Discovery Sightings

[Chris Bergin]

The mission thread for sightings of Discovery (and the ISS) from your part of the world. Always stunning when you see the two vehicles coasting over head.

[jacqmans]

Space Weather News for Oct. 23, 2007
http://spaceweather.com


SPACESHIP SIGHTINGS:  Space shuttle Discovery launched this morning from NASA's Kennedy Space Center on a two-week mission to the International Space Station (ISS). This means sky watchers should be alert for spaceship flybys in the nights ahead.  Both Discovery and ISS will make favorable passes over many US cities with the possibility of double flybys later this week when the two spacecraft are about to dock.  Subscribers to Spaceweather PHONE (http://spaceweatherphone.com) will receive email and telephone alerts of flybys in viewing range of their hometowns.

BIG FULL MOON:  This week's full Moon (Oct. 25-26) is the biggest full Moon of 2007. It's no illusion. Some full Moons are genuinely larger than others and Thursday night's will be as much as 14% wider and 30% brighter than lesser full Moons we've seen earlier this year. Check http://spaceweather.com for the reasons why.

[nathan.moeller]

NSF User Sighting Log for STS-120

Pass 1A: ISS passed over Lubbock at 7:55, rising to about 70 degrees overhead and passing the moon on its way out.

Pass 1B: Discovery followed less than ten minutes later passing straight overhead.

Both were tremendous!!  They were the brightest objects in the sky!!  It still blows my mind to think that less than ten hours ago, Discovery was sitting on a launch pad 1,000 miles from where I am.  About seven orbits later, she flies right overhead.  Amazing...

Hope to get some good sightings and images from everyone else!

[RamjetFDO]

The Austin sightings were amazing.

ISS was as bright as I've ever seen it, and Discovery was brilliant, too!

Looking forward to tomorrow night's pass.   :cool:

[Avron]

I see our next siting is like "Mon Nov 05/05:51 AM"


Oh well.. next STS will be better

[Andrewwski]

Yup...looks like most of the northeast is out of luck for this one.

I had one for tonight, but it's been raining since last night, so obviously I can't see that one.  Next one isn't for awhile.

[Avron]

Andrewwski - 23/10/2007  11:00 PM

Yup...looks like most of the northeast is out of luck for this one.

I had one for tonight, but it's been raining since last night, so obviously I can't see that one.  Next one isn't for awhile.

At least the EVA's are not in the middle of the night -EDT

[Ford Mustang]

Avron - 23/10/2007  11:09 PM

Andrewwski - 23/10/2007  11:00 PM

Yup...looks like most of the northeast is out of luck for this one.

I had one for tonight, but it's been raining since last night, so obviously I can't see that one.  Next one isn't for awhile.

At least the EVA's are not in the middle of the night -EDT

They are for me.. 1 am and on, or something like that.  Close enough.. I'll be sleeping, though.

Hoping to get a shot of her tonight in the sky, missed last night's.. Hopefully the sky will clear enough for a 10 minute pass.  

[stockman]

Avron - 23/10/2007  10:17 PM

I see our next siting is like "Mon Nov 05/05:51 AM"


Oh well.. next STS will be better

Avron - I am just across the lake from you and STSplus shows a pass tomorrow night of the space station (and shuttle as it will be docked by then). Of course it all depends on lighting and sky conditions but as you did indicate this seems to be the only pass until early november. From my perspective the west to South-east pass is as follows - it may be a bit lower from your perspective but you will have the lake to look across.

Oct 25

Start - 18:31  - 293 degrees
End - 18:38  - 149 degrees

Altitude - 30 degrees elevation.


I am not sure how dark it will be at 6:30 but its worth a shot assuming no clouds.

Good luck

[Bubbinski]

Last night right after work I saw the shuttle fly overhead.  Pretty bright, very high in the sky, and really nice to see in the sunset sky.  In fact, KSL showed some video clips it shot from the roof of its studio in downtown Salt Lake on the 10 o'clock news.  (I don't know if they have the clip online).

[joncz]

Oh the drama!     The emotion!   :laugh:

Raining and cloudy in Atlanta all day, but it finally went to crystal clear skies about 30 minutes before the 1945 pass of ISS and shuttle.  I come out at 1942 to find the skies completely obscured again!  But a nice high-level breeze blows a break in the clouds from SE to NW, exactly opposite the direction of the pass.  The ISS burst out of the clouds right at its max altitude over me, blazing and screaming across the sky.  It was so bright it was easily visible through some of the thinner clouds. Discovery was about 1 minute behind and farther west -- how's that for evidence of our rotation!

 :cool:

[RamjetFDO]

Another great pair of passes (ISS then Discovery) about 25 degrees MaxEl.

[JLicklider]

My first post!

I got to see ISS tonight at 6:45 CDT in Arkansas.  Nearly straight overhead with a great end to the pass over the moon!  SPECTACULAR!  

BTW I love NSF and everything it does for my interest, strike that, addiction to all things space related! (I really want to be Astronaut when I grow up, and I'm 27!)

[Mark Dave]

I got to see the ISS too, though not Discovery a few minutes later as the sightings guide said. Still, it was awesome. I was also surprised it wasn't as bright as before. The last time I got to see both the shuttle and ISS-very bright that time, and everyone was out besides me to see them zoom past.

[NASAJim]

There will be an excellent opportunity to see the ISS and Discovery as they pass almost directly over Houston shortly after 7PM local time tonight:
http://www.heavens-above.com/PassSummary.asp?satid=25544&lat=29.763&lng=-95.363&loc=Houston&alt=15&tz=CST

The sky is crystal clear right now - let's hope it stays that way.

[Chris Bergin]

NASAJim - 25/10/2007  9:33 PM

There will be an excellent opportunity to see the ISS and Discovery as they pass almost directly over Houston shortly after 7PM local time tonight:
http://www.heavens-above.com/PassSummary.asp?satid=25544&lat=29.763&lng=-95.363&loc=Houston&alt=15&tz=CST

The sky is crystal clear right now - let's hope it stays that way.

Lucky Houston people.

Meanwhile: http://www.heavens-above.com/PassSummary.asp?satid=32272&lat=53.95285&lng=-1.0849&loc=York&alt=15&tz=CST

[Zachstar]

I spotted the group! It was -1.6 Mag and there was lots of local light pollution.

However that was the best chance in a few days so I am glad I caught a glimpse!

[astrobrian]

Not sure how, but at neg 2.3 I completely missed it, clear as a bell here too, would have had video but not sure why I didn't see it

[Paul Adams]

How about this: On Wednesday I was in Houston working and did not see a thing as the ISS and then Discovery only rose 20' above the horizon illuminated by sunshine and were lost in the light polution. However, minutes before I was on the phone to my wife at home north of Las Vegas as she watched ISS and then Discovery pass almost directly overhead. Was kind of fun to have it described, but I envy her "one of the best" sightings of the many we have watched.

Paul

[Namechange User]

Chris Bergin - 25/10/2007  6:19 PM

NASAJim - 25/10/2007  9:33 PM

There will be an excellent opportunity to see the ISS and Discovery as they pass almost directly over Houston shortly after 7PM local time tonight:
http://www.heavens-above.com/PassSummary.asp?satid=25544&lat=29.763&lng=-95.363&loc=Houston&alt=15&tz=CST

The sky is crystal clear right now - let's hope it stays that way.

Lucky Houston people.

Meanwhile: http://www.heavens-above.com/PassSummary.asp?satid=32272&lat=53.95285&lng=-1.0849&loc=York&alt=15&tz=CST

It was a beautiful night for the overpass.  Just at dusk, Discovery/ISS passed directly overhead.  Very bright and cool against the full moon rising (kind of symbolic huh?).  It will do the same tonight at about 7:30