Aerospace and Astronomy

[Cat O'Falk 3,290]

A thread concerning both aviation and space flight coupled together with the branch of science which deals with celestial objects, space, and the physical universe as a whole.

 

The Chinese space station Tiangong-1 is set to fall to Earth over this weekend. The latest from the European Space Agency (ESA) predicts 1615 hrs GMT on Sunday 1^st April 2018 plus or minus nine hours.

This tracker is continuously updated to show the current position and height as the orbit decays.

When Skylab fell to Earth in 1979 a $400 littering ticket was issued by a park service official in Western Australia; apparently it still hasn’t been paid and has been written off.

 

Useful Sites

Heavens-Above is a website developed and maintained by Chris Peat as Heavens-Above GmbH. The web site is dedicated to helping people observe and track satellites orbiting the Earth without the need for optical equipment such as binoculars or telescopes. It provides detailed star charts showing the trajectory of the satellites against the background of the stars as seen during a pass. Special attention is paid to the ISS, Iridium flares and other satellites. Space shuttle missions were tracked until the program was retired in July 2011. The website also offers information on currently visible comets, asteroids, planet details, and other miscellaneous information.

 

N2YO provides real time tracking and pass predictions with orbital paths and footprints overlaid on Google Maps.It features an alerting system that automatically notifies users via SMS and/or email before International Space Station crosses the local sky. The N2YO.com system powers ESA's, Space.com's and many other's satellite tracking web pages.

 

NASA Lunar Eclipse Explorer computes the local circumstances for every lunar eclipse for any century from 2000 BC to 3000 AD. Forget about city etc, just enter your latitude and longitude as a decimal.

 

NASA Solar Eclipse Explorer computes the local circumstances for every solar eclipse for any century from 1500 BC to 3000 AD. Again, forget about city etc, just enter your latitude and longitude as a decimal.

 

International Space Station Transit Finder  calculates when the ISS transits across the face of the sun and moon from a position near you. Don’t forget your solar filters if you’re looking at the sun.

 

Telescope.org is where you can request The Open University’s automated telescope on Mount Teide, Tenerife to take a photograph for you.

 

Airliners.net is an aviation website that includes an extensive photo database of aircraft and airports, as well as a forum catering to civil and military aviation together with spaceflights.

 

If you have any questions, please ask and I’ll do my best to answer them.

[Sir Creep 7,070]

You are the best!  Can't wait to check all the links out. Hope you got to enjoy the lineup of planets early March and our rare blue moon x2 already.

[theoldlady 2,300]

Last night, at 9:05 p.m. Norwegian time, we saw the ISS, International Space Station fly by in the night sky here in Southern Norway! It looked liked a very fast moving little star going from right to left; it was my first time seeing something like that. My husband used to see Russian satellites fly by in the 1960s in Southern Norway. 

[Exu 250]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-43557446

 

From the BBC. The NIMBYs in the Home Counties will be happy!

[Exu 250]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-43614408

 

Looks like the build quality of this space station was in keeping with all the other shit that China produces and exports to the West.

[Cat O'Falk 3,290]

SpaceX is hoping to launch its fourteenth Commercial Resupply Services mission (CRS-14) to the International Space Station on Monday 2nd April at 2030 hrs GMT. You can watch the launch here.

 

If the ISS is visible in your neck of the woods, you might be able to see it 'chasing' the station across the sky before it docks on Wednesday. Although the ISS appears relatively bright, the CRS is much dimmer but it can still be seen with the naked eye.

[En Passant 3,741]

CRSSCT?

Commercially Resupplying Space with Self Crashing Tesla's?

 

Actually I kind of admire the man. But sometimes can't help myself taking a pop at the necessity of stunts for self promotion in this world.

[Cat O'Falk 3,290]

You can play with the user operated webcam at Zurich Airport.

Here's a Singapore Airlines double-decker bus I recorded this morning.

 

 

Simply click on the screen and wait for the clock in the bottom right hand corner to turn green.

Click on the screen and it will move that point to the centre of the screen.

Click and hold to pan left, right, up and down.

[Cat O'Falk 3,290]

SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is about to launch NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. Watch live here.

[Cat O'Falk 3,290]

The  Lyrid Meteor Shower is at its peak tonight. 

 

Skywatchers in the Northern Hemisphere will get a view of the Lyrid meteor shower, the dusty trail of a comet with a centuries-long orbit around the sun. The Lyrid meteors streak across the sky between April 16 and April 25, so skywatchers have a chance to see them during that window, weather permitting.

 

https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/meteor-shower/lyrids.html

https://www.space.com/36381-lyrid-meteor-shower-guide.html

 

Basically look to the northeast after sunset moving to southeast as the night goes by.

[Sir Creep 7,070]

Every time they say that I look and look, sit in my truck with a six pack and wait....and maybe see 1, probably by my fifth beer so unlikely real.  And I’m sitting in barren west Texas where you can see the Milky Way in a clear night.  I may as well look in the sky for unicorns.  The Northern Lights is another hoax I was told I could see on a specific night, on the tippy tip of the Keweenau Peninsula on Lake Superior with zero visual interference, and not a goddamn thing did I see.

ill report back on the morrow re: meteors.

SirC

[gcreptile 10,967]

I was a huge astronomy when I was younger, incl. telescope and all.

 

In the past years, I was most fascinated by .... exoplanets. 

Isn't it a wonderful time to be alive?

 

[Toast 16,137]

17 hours ago, Cat O'Falk said:

The  Lyrid Meteor Shower is at its peak tonight. 

 

Skywatchers in the Northern Hemisphere will get a view of the Lyrid meteor shower, the dusty trail of a comet with a centuries-long orbit around the sun. The Lyrid meteors streak across the sky between April 16 and April 25, so skywatchers have a chance to see them during that window, weather permitting.

 

https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/meteor-shower/lyrids.html

https://www.space.com/36381-lyrid-meteor-shower-guide.html

 

Basically look to the northeast after sunset moving to southeast as the night goes by.

 

We had a magnificent light show that went on for hours.

Except it was lightning, not meteors.  Huge great forked bolts interspersed with the sort that just light up the whole sky.

Not much chance of wishing on a shooting star last night.

[Sir Creep 7,070]

Well I did my deed last night after posting.  Went to the local place of imbibing for two hours, drove back to desolation boulevard, and sat for a while staring into the heavens with a solid 50 mile view in any direction.  
Nuthin    I'm Sir Bad Luck when it comes to astronomical events.

[Cat O'Falk 3,290]

There will be a total lunar eclipse on the evening of 27th/morning of 28th July and it will be visible in large parts of Australia, Asia, Africa, Europe, and South America. Sorry North America, you're not invited to the party. 

 

You can read all about it here and if you want the details for your neck of the woods, enter your location here.

 

 

Full Eclipse begins    27 Jul, 19:30:15

Maximum Eclipse    27 Jul, 20:21:44

Full Eclipse ends    27 Jul, 21:13:11

 

All times are GMT

 

In the U.K. the eclipse will be in full swing as the moon rises so you'll need to get to a point where you can see the horizon.

If there are any questions, don't hesitate to ask.

[Toast 16,137]

They want suggestions for names for the new Mars rover.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-44889596

 

Obviously it should be Ziggy Stardust.

[Lord Fellatio Nelson 6,218]

3 minutes ago, Toast said:

They want suggestions for names for the new Mars rover.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-44889596

 

Obviously it should be Ziggy Stardust.

Yes but it's only a suggestion thing, this one.

There is no poll like the Boaty McBoatface debacle that those toffee nosed snobby bastards decided to ignore when choosing that boats name.

So no Marsey McRover then.

[Cat O'Falk 3,290]

27 minutes ago, Toast said:

They want suggestions for names for the new Mars rover.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-44889596

 

Obviously it should be Ziggy Stardust.

 

I voted for 'Pillinger' after Dr Colin Pillinger. 

Beagle 2 went tits up so we can't call it Beagle 3.

[msc 18,439]

5 minutes ago, Cat O'Falk said:

 

I voted for 'Pillinger' after Dr Colin Pillinger.

 

Friend of a friend, fyi - much missed by many.

[Toast 16,137]

Wait, I've had another idea ....

 

[TQR 14,387]

2 hours ago, Toast said:

They want suggestions for names for the new Mars rover.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-44889596

 

Obviously it should be Ziggy Stardust.

 

I love public naming things.

 

A particular highlight of mine was when Mountain Dew wanted a name for a new flavoured energy drink a few years back, and the winning suggestion was "Hitler Did Nothing Wrong".

[Sir Creep 7,070]

Took my 7-yr old budding astonomer to this free local event.  Got to see Saturn Jupiter/4 moons and Venus through some proper telescopes.  Cool event for everyone, kids especially.

SC

[Cat O'Falk 3,290]

On 22/07/2018 at 18:20, Cat O'Falk said:

There will be a total lunar eclipse on the evening of 27th/morning of 28th July and it will be visible in large parts of Australia, Asia, Africa, Europe, and South America. Sorry North America, you're not invited to the party. 

 

You can read all about it here and if you want the details for your neck of the woods, enter your location here.

 

 

Full Eclipse begins    27 Jul, 19:30:15

Maximum Eclipse    27 Jul, 20:21:44

Full Eclipse ends    27 Jul, 21:13:11

 

All times are GMT

 

In the U.K. the eclipse will be in full swing as the moon rises so you'll need to get to a point where you can see the horizon.

If there are any questions, don't hesitate to ask.

 

As an added bonus to tonight's eclipse, you'll be able to see a bright reddish-brown object close to the moon; that'll be the planet Mars which is at its closest to the Earth at the moment. The separation between the two is only about five degrees and a fist at arms length represents about 10 degrees separation.

 

 

[One shot Paddy 1,206]

12 minutes ago, Cat O'Falk said:

 

As an added bonus to tonight's eclipse, you'll be able to see a bright reddish-brown object close to the moon; that'll be the planet Mars which is at its closest to the Earth at the moment. The separation between the two is only about five degrees and a fist at arms length represents about 10 degrees separation.

 

 

Not sure if I want to tell the wife "I'm just going outside to fist Mars" 

[Cat O'Falk 3,290]

Live streaming of tonight's lunar eclipse.