International Space Station appearance over our area

[Teller]

Did anyone else get to see the ISS pass over our area tonight? It just looked like a huge, really bright star, but still pretty cool. Maybe it's just me, but I always get a kick out of the accomplishments of humanity, however insignificant. Like being able to see the Great Wall of China from space, or the ISS from earth. Pretty neat.

I'm especially intrigued by space, as man has been throughout our existence it seems. NASA plans to go back to the moon in 2021, and well within the lifetime of my kids will establish a permanent base there. It's wild to think that my offspring might someday walk there, or almost certainly my grandkids.

I don't know if I'm feeling particuarly philosophical tonight, or if it's just the beer attempting to drown a failing marriage, but regardless, seeing man's "base" in space tonight was pretty cool.

[coldpacker]

"Like being able to see the Great Wall of China from space,"

Sorry to burst your bubble. But thats a myth

unless your looking at the earth w/ SUPER ENHANCED zoomed freak-crazy imaging

[edgun88]

Ive seen it before also. Very, very cool.

[China]

"Like being able to see the Great Wall of China from space,"

Sorry to burst your bubble. But thats a myth

unless your looking at the earth w/ SUPER ENHANCED zoomed freak-crazy imaging

While it's not as visible as some would have you believe, it is still visible:


This photo of central Inner Mongolia, about 200 miles north of Beijing, was taken on Nov. 24, 2004, from the International Space Station. The yellow arrow points to an estimated location of 42.5N 117.4E where the wall is visible. The red arrows point to other visible sections of the wall. Credit: NASA.

[Switchgear]

Nasa's web site has some really amazing "Earth as seen from space" photos here. They also have a tool that tells you when the ISS will be visible depending on your location here.

I really enjoy watching satellites in the night sky, though it took me longer than it should have to realize why they are only visible for an hour or two after sunset.