(meteorobs) ISS and Shuttle seen from lower Westchester, NY
JBortle at aol.com
JBortle at aol.com
Tue Dec 19 22:39:40 EST 2006
Hi Joe,
Like you, I was able to witness the Shuttle/ISS passage at 6PM, noting some
interesting details.
Accompanied by one of my granddaughters, I spotted the ISS just after it rose
above the SW horizon. Looking like an orangish 1st magnitude star, it was
clearly single in appearance both with the naked eye and 10x50 binoculars. As it
rose higher into Aql it became more golden in hue, seemingly varying slowly
somewhat in brightness but remained unquestionably singular.
As it crossed the boundary between Aql and Cyg I at first suspected and then
clearly saw a minute stellar companion to the bright star with the binoculars.
Both were now quite white in coloration and the companion rapidly grew in
brightness until it equaled the ISS.
By the time the pair passed from Cyg into Cep I could clearly see them as
distinctly separate but still a very closely paired set of brilliant (-1?)
blue-white stars with the unaided eye and they formed a most extraordinary double
star as seen with the binoculars.
As they moved off toward the NE soon after passing their point of maximum
elevation the pair began to fade and rather quickly entered the Earth's shadow.
Regards - John
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