CAN YOU SEE A SATELLITE FROM EARTH?

[liam_01]

I often gaze up at the stars and every once in a while i see a very small ''ufo'' travelling above sometimes they can be super bright or very dull and im pritty sure its to high for an areoplane.

[bibblebub]

simple answer yes

[Mosaic]

Yes, and the space station.

[liam_01]

you say the space station- i once saw a satellite doing a triangle shape... would this be something to do with that?

[boxtops]

No, the space station is a big solid shining object, you can't see it at the moment, it's on a different course at the moment. You can certainly see satellites from time to time as the light catches them.

[Mosaic]

In my experience the space station looks like an orange cigar-shape progressing steadily across the sky.

[bibblebub]

If all you can see is a small light how can you possibly know that it's too high for an aircraft? You can't see any shape by which you might be able to judge its scale or distance.

[carrot99]

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

Wendilla gave us the above link a year or two ago and reminds us when to look out for the space station, which some of us saw quite clearly in March.

On the heavens above home page you go to configurations and indicate your home on the map and then you get the list of passings of the space station from your viewpoint. If you click on any date on the list it shows you a diagram of the station's route on that day.

[wendilla]

Hi there the Spacestation is going over us at the moment but it is 3 and 4 am times but it should be back on it's usual round in a week or 2 but will post for anyone that doesn't know the times . when I get them.

[carrot99]

....then you choose

Satellites
All passes of the ISS - including daylight and invisible passes.

and then after that per ardua ad astra (or up, up and away!)

[wendilla]

ISS Sun Jun 13/03:53 AM 3 22 16 above S 15 above ESE
ISS Tue Jun 15/03:11 AM 3 24 16 above SSW 16 above ESE
ISS Wed Jun 16/03:37 AM 4 44 15 above SW 15 above E
ISS Thu Jun 17/02:29 AM 3 26 22 above S 15 above ESE
ISS Thu Jun 17/04:03 AM 4 67 16 above WSW 26 above E

[sandyRoe]

The Moon. It's not an artificial satellite.

[wendilla]

HAVE A LOOK SEE IF YOU CAN SPOT THIS ONE NEXT WEEK IF YOU ARE UP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT BUT IT WILL BE NOTHING LIKE THE SIZE OF THE SPACESTATION .iT WILL BE NEARLY THE END OF THE MONTH BEFORE THE EVENING VIEWS OF SS PROGRESS Mon Jun 14/03:29 AM 3 21 16 above S 15 above ESE
PROGRESS Tue Jun 15/03:51 AM 4 39 15 above SW 15 above E
PROGRESS Wed Jun 16/02:40 AM 2 21 18 above S 15 above ESE
PROGRESS Thu Jun 17/03:02 AM 4 38 15 above SW 18 above E
PROGRESS Fri Jun 18/01:52 AM 1 21 21 above SSE 15 above ESE
PROGRESS Fri Jun 18/03:25 AM 4 61 16 above WSW 17 above E
PROGRESS Sat Jun 19/02:14 AM 3 38 28 above SSW 18 above E
PROGRESS Sat Jun 19/03:47 AM 4 73 16 above W 18 above E
PROG

[rov1200]

My Dad remembers seeing the Russian sputniks in the early 60's and were quite a novelty at the time. He used to sleep on the deck of a troopship heading back from Aden and with a clear sky with no light interference they really stood out.

[jen157]

Yes you can.