(meteorobs) Shuttle/ISS visible tonight after undocking in much of US.

[Skywayinc at aol.com]

In a message dated 12/19/2006 11:40:25 AM Eastern Standard Time,  
meteors at eclipse.net writes:

The  Shuttle is scheduled to undock from the ISS shortly after 5PM EST
tonight.  Beginning less than an hour later the next three orbits across
the US  should provide an opportunity to see them very near each other.
Having seen  such an event once (on a Spirit of Norfolk company Christmas
party cruise  in VA) I assure you it's a sight not to be missed.



I would just like to add a word of caution to what Wayne  mentioned 
concerning 
visibility of the Shuttle/ISS this evening:
 
 
In the NY Area, the two space vehicles will take about  90-seconds to track 
on a general WNW to N path beginning at around 6:02 p.m. 
 
However . . . the undocking will have occurred only 53  minutes earlier and 
by the 
time they will be crossing our local sky, they're  expected be only about 
600-feet apart.  
Seen from a distance of 310  statute miles, I have calculated that this gap 
translates 
into a separation of only about 1.3-arc  minutes! 
 
Most people with even very good eyesight, can only  resolve down to about 
3-arc minutes
with their unaided eyes, so it may very well be that  only a singular point 
of light will be
seen as opposed to two -- at least over the Eastern  U.S.  
 
Binoculars should readily split this point of light  into two separate
components. 
 
If, somehow, the Shuttle/ISS manage to move farther  apart . . . say to 1,800-
feet . . . then the two objects will likely be  seen flying independent of 
each other with
the naked eye.
 
The only thing to do is hope for clear weather at the  appointed time, then 
go out and
take a look.
 
At some point the H-A page will begin  posting separate information for
STS-116 once it begins to drop down to a  lower orbit prior to return to
earth. Probably not until tomorrow morning,  and be aware, if the shuttle
makes an orbital maneuver, those predictions are  innacurate until updated
with the new orbital  elements.

 
Check out the NASA website, whose visibility forecasts  have already
taken into account the changes that will take place in  the Shuttle's orbit 
during
the final days of its mission:  _http://tinyurl.com/ym6mqb_ 
(http://tinyurl.com/ym6mqb) 
 

-- joe rao