One of the dogs went out just before 8:30 last night. I looked up at the sky and at first thought Jupiter was particularly bright. The light was warmer than Jupiter usually is. Then I noticed it was moving generally west to east. Just past the zenith, it started to dim, the color shifted to red and it disappeared. I confirmed the time and trajectory using this site from NASA.

It's a great feeling seeing it isn't it - or am i a sad case?

Yep, its a great feeling. First time I saw it I was like "WOW". Seen it a couple of times since but most of the time it goes over its cloudy .
Andy

^
Not at all. It's pretty cool. Late last summer, the new reported the shuttle, which had separated earlier in the day and was then some distance from the station, and the station would be visible. I made a point of being outside when this was to happen and saw them both moving at quite a rate of speed.

Thanks for the link. At least I know where to look.
Shaun

I've seen it a few times too, very cool. Once with the shuttle flying in tandem with it as a smaller dot following behind. That was VERY cool.

Here's a site that I use often. You can plug in your own location and predict upcoming overflights of the ISS, the shuttle, other satelittes and the Iridium flares that are even possible to see in the daytime. Al's NASA site is very good too but only covers the U.S.

http://www.heavens-above.com/




Bob

Yep, feels great. Have seen shuttle twice. THAT thing hauls a**!
Cheers for space chariots!

Once, back in what, 1999 or maybe 2000, the shuttle came into Florida for a night landing.

It was re-entering the atmosphere while it was going over Texas, and that was one of the most amazing sight I have ever seen.

It left a blazing contrail trainling behind it, and the gas in the wake glowed orange for many minutes afterwards from the western horizon to the Eastern one (about 60 degrees up from the northern horizon). You could even see the turbulance pattern (whirlpool-like swirls alternating left and right) in the glowing gas.

A friend of mine in Minisota even saw it low on her southern horizon.

I have seen two shuttle launches (the very first one, and the one my father was on: STS-51F) and a Saturn 5 rocket lift off (Apollo 17, which is one of my earliest memory), and I have to say that night re-entry landing was right along with those in terms of the strongest "WOOHOO" moments I have ever seen.