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MaryM
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| Posted: June 20 2007 at 1:54am | IP Logged
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With the Space Shuttle Atlantis scheduled to undock from the International Space Station (ISS) on Tuesday, skywatchers across much of the United States and southern Canada are in for a real treat on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings.
Should weather conditions permit to offer clear skies, there will be a few opportunities to see both the Atlantis orbiter and the ISS flying across the sky from many locations.
The sight should easily be visible to anyone, even from brightly-lit cities.
Did anyone else see this last night? I know Dawn did since I read her blog about it after we came in. Anyway it was very cool and worth getting outside to see. There will be another opportunity for viewing it tonight (Wednesday, June 20). Those above 30 degrees N latitude will be able to see it if skies are clear. Check here for viewing times in your area and location in the sky to look.
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Mary M. in Denver
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Dawn
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| Posted: June 20 2007 at 4:53am | IP Logged
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Mary, it was so cool!  It had all the hallmarks of a fond summer memory - warm night, still light but so late, bats flying over - and then up in the sky this amazing sight ... we were enthralled. And wasn't the moon beautiful, too? 
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Dawn, mum to 3 boys 
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Mary Chris
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| Posted: June 20 2007 at 5:55am | IP Logged
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We thought we saw them but now it turns out they were just airplanes  , we were looking to early and we had awful cloud cover,
We have another oppurtunity tonight. We'll give it another go! Thanks for the heads up!
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Blessings, Mary Chris Beardsley
mom to MacKenzie3/95, Carter 12/97 Ronan 3/00 and wife to Jim since 1/92
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marihalojen
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| Posted: June 20 2007 at 12:32pm | IP Logged
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MaryM wrote:
Those above 30 degrees N latitude will be able to see it if skies are clear. Check here for viewing times in your area and location in the sky to look.
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Really? Above 30 degrees? That would be why Key West does not have a sat. sighting untill the 22 of June, I suppose.  Darn! We were excited too.
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MaryM
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| Posted: June 20 2007 at 1:01pm | IP Logged
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Dawn wrote:
| And wasn't the moon beautiful, too? |
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It was lovely - I love the crescent phase.
marychris wrote:
We thought we saw them but now it turns out they were just airplanes , we were looking to early and we had awful cloud cover,
We have another oppurtunity tonight. We'll give it another go! Thanks for the heads up! |
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Hope you see them tonight, Mary Chris - when you see them you will know for sure it is them - it is pretty spectatular. Two very bright lights traveling together - the one seems to be leading the other. They move very quickly and it is over in just a couple minutes.
Wasn't it amazing how they just disappeared, Dawn? I would have thought they would disappear as they went over the horizon, but it was before that - almost like into thin air. Very interesting.
So sorry you can't see them Jennifer. You should be here visiting your relatives! 
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Mary M. in Denver
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joann10
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| Posted: June 20 2007 at 8:27pm | IP Logged
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Very excited here. We just watched the space shuttle and space station sail across our evening sky. 
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Dawn
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| Posted: June 20 2007 at 8:36pm | IP Logged
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We saw it too, Joann! It was even better than last night!
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Dawn, mum to 3 boys
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guitarnan
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| Posted: June 20 2007 at 9:10pm | IP Logged
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We saw them (and got our dd's friend next door out to see them, too!). We saw the ISS a couple of weeks ago but didn't know about the totally cool sightings website...many thanks!
My dad's company built one of the ISS's atmospheric sampling/monitoring instruments, so we have a special reason to wave at the ISS! (And now, so do you!)
(I grew up watching early morning Gemini launches, rocket contrails from Vandenberg AFB, and other Dad-related space stuff. Mega-, mega-cool.)
Thanks again for the heads-up and website info. Soon we'll have the whole block out there...
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Nancy in MD. Mom of ds (24) & dd (18); 31-year Navy wife, move coordinator and keeper of home fires. Writer and dance mom.
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MaryM
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| Posted: June 20 2007 at 10:00pm | IP Logged
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Our viewing isn't for another hour and 20 minutes. But it looks like it will be shorter for us than yesterday and not go directly over us as it yesterday. So probably our more spectacular view here was last night.
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Mary M. in Denver
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CatholicMommy
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(I think) we just saw them - my son was just so excited to be watching the sky at night. We live near several airports, so he'd see the airplanes and get excited, and I'd explain, "No, those have flashing lights - airplanes. The spaceship won't have flashing lights." But finally we saw two moving lights together and he said, "Spaceship, Mommy? Way up high!? TWO lights!"
Now he's getting ready for bed with 2 flashlights and pretending he's flying.
I'd say that's a good night for a three year old.
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folklaur
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| Posted: June 21 2007 at 12:25am | IP Logged
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We saw them! It was very cool!  Thank you so much for sharing this!!!
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ladybugs
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| Posted: June 21 2007 at 1:58am | IP Logged
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We saw it tonight - totally, totally awesome!
It was so cozy to be outside at that time of night with my children all in their jammies sharing a blanket and hoarding together to view it!
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marihalojen
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| Posted: June 21 2007 at 7:07am | IP Logged
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MaryM wrote:
| So sorry you can't see them Jennifer. You should be here visiting your relatives! |
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We let our relatives know, you'd better believe it! We love to drag them along on our homeschooling adventures!  Now for their narrations today...
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~Jennifer
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JennGM
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| Posted: June 21 2007 at 7:21am | IP Logged
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We're such newbies to skywatching, we weren't even sure what we were looking for, but we're pretty sure we saw them. It was so neat! We'll be back tomorrow night.
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Jennifer G. Miller
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teachingmyown
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| Posted: June 21 2007 at 9:33am | IP Logged
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Okay, we think we saw them. But we were stopped on the side of the road, leaning out the van doors,not really sure what we were looking for.
There were two lights, traveling close together (at least from this distance) that went across the sky starting in the Northwest. Was that it?
Tonight we will bring our binoculars to baseball, so when we have to pull off the road again to look, we will be better prepared.
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MaryM
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| Posted: June 21 2007 at 11:10am | IP Logged
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You probably did see it, Molly. Not too many lights traveling together (in a straight line). The SS Atlantis is scheduled to land today so if that happens only the ISS will be seen on the pass over tonight.
Oh, and our view last night was not nearly as great as Tuesday. It passed over in the western sky here and not directly over us as the night before. But still neat to see.
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Mary M. in Denver
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Dawn
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| Posted: June 21 2007 at 11:30am | IP Logged
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MaryM wrote:
| The SS Atlantis is scheduled to land today ... |
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Yes, I believe at 1:55 p.m. if weather cooperates. After all the excitement seeing the flyovers, we are going to tune in and watch the landing on TV. 
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Dawn, mum to 3 boys
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MaryM
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| Posted: June 21 2007 at 5:18pm | IP Logged
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The space shuttle did not land this afternoon- should still be visible in fly over tonight.
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Mary M. in Denver
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MaryM
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| Posted: Aug 20 2007 at 9:42am | IP Logged
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Did you miss this earlier in the summer? Were the skies too cloudy? There is another opportunity to view the ISS and Space Shuttle together this week. Check the NASA sightings link to find time and location for your area. The longest viewing times are the most worthwhile to watch.
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Mary M. in Denver
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MaryM
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| Posted: Aug 20 2007 at 9:45am | IP Logged
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Oh and here's a great site that shows where the ISS is in real time.
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Mary M. in Denver
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4Real Forums : Exploring God's Creation in Nature and Science
Topic: Space station & shuttle visible
