Saturday, May 11, 2019
some Early Evening Bright International Space Sation Passes 11-16 May 2019)
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| The ISS passes close to the bright star Canopus as seen from Sydney on the evening of Monday 13 May at 18:26 AEST. Simulated in Stellarium (the ISS will actually be a bright dot), click to embiggen. | The ISS passes near the Southern Cross, as seen from Adelaide on the evening of Saturday 11 May at 18:41 ACST. Simulated in Stellarium (the ISS will actually be a bright dot), click to embiggen. | The ISS passes between the Pointers, as seen from Perth on the evening of Saturday 11 May at 18:48 AWST. Simulated in Stellarium (the ISS will actually be a bright dot), the inset shows the binocular view of the close pass.click to embiggen. |
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| All sky chart showing local times from Heavens Above for Monday 13 May for Sydney. | All sky chart showing local times from Heavens Above for Saturday 11 May for Adelaide. | All sky chart showing local times from Heavens Above for Saturday 11 Mayh for Perth. |
Over the next few days there are a series of very bright ISS passes in the early evening or twilight where the ISS passes close to Canopus, the Southern Cross or the Pointers and some other iconic stars and constellations). The ones deep in twilight may be hard to find guide stars for but some of the passes are very bright and will be well worth watching for. There are a number of other relatively bright satellites about at this time which you amy see close to the ISS.
The following tables are from data provided from Heavens Above.
Passes from Adelaide (ACDST)
| Date | Brightness | Start | Highest point | End | Pass type | ||||||
| (mag) | Time | Alt. | Az. | Time | Alt. | Az. | Time | Alt. | Az. | ||
| 10 May | -1.7 | 17:57:17 | 10° | S | 17:59:15 | 14° | SSE | 18:01:12 | 10° | ESE | visible |
| 10 May | -1.3 | 19:32:49 | 10° | SW | 19:34:00 | 20° | SW | 19:34:00 | 20° | SW | visible |
| 11 May | -3.7 | 18:41:58 | 10° | SW | 18:45:17 | 55° | SE | 18:45:53 | 46° | E | visible |
| 12 May | -2.8 | 17:51:18 | 10° | SSW | 17:54:18 | 29° | SE | 17:57:17 | 10° | E | visible |
| 12 May | -1.5 | 19:28:04 | 10° | WSW | 19:30:46 | 22° | NW | 19:30:50 | 22° | NW | visible |
| 13 May | -2.8 | 18:36:45 | 10° | WSW | 18:39:59 | 46° | NW | 18:43:11 | 10° | NNE | visible |
| 14 May | -3.8 | 17:45:45 | 10° | SW | 17:49:07 | 81° | SE | 17:52:27 | 10° | NE | visible |
| 15 May | -0.7 | 18:32:21 | 10° | W | 18:34:28 | 16° | NW | 18:36:34 | 10° | NNW | visible |
Passes from Brisbane (AEST)
| Date | Brightness | Start | Highest point | End | Pass type | ||||||
| (mag) | Time | Alt. | Az. | Time | Alt. | Az. | Time | Alt. | Az. | ||
| 10 May | -1.2 | 18:30:59 | 10° | S | 18:31:14 | 11° | S | 18:31:14 | 11° | S | visible |
| 11 May | -0.6 | 19:15:42 | 10° | SW | 19:15:53 | 11° | SW | 19:15:53 | 11° | SW | visible |
| 12 May | -3.5 | 18:24:54 | 10° | SSW | 18:28:01 | 46° | SE | 18:28:01 | 46° | SE | visible |
| 13 May | -2.5 | 17:34:26 | 10° | SSW | 17:37:11 | 23° | SE | 17:39:53 | 10° | E | visible |
| 13 May | -1.1 | 19:11:06 | 10° | WSW | 19:13:23 | 20° | WNW | 19:13:23 | 20° | WNW | visible |
| 14 May | -2.7 | 18:19:37 | 10° | SW | 18:22:50 | 44° | NW | 18:26:00 | 10° | NNE | visible |
| 15 May | -3.8 | 17:28:37 | 10° | SW | 17:31:58 | 74° | SE | 17:35:16 | 10° | NE | visible |
| 16 May | -0.5 | 18:15:36 | 10° | W | 18:17:17 | 13° | NW | 18:18:58 | 10° | NNW | visible |
Passes from Darwin (ACST)
| Date | Brightness | Start | Highest point | End | Pass type | ||||||
| (mag) | Time | Alt. | Az. | Time | Alt. | Az. | Time | Alt. | Az. | ||
| 14 May | -3.2 | 19:25:47 | 10° | SSW | 19:28:51 | 34° | SE | 19:29:23 | 31° | ESE | visible |
| 15 May | -1.0 | 20:11:53 | 10° | WSW | 20:14:18 | 19° | NW | 20:16:15 | 12° | NNW | visible |
| 16 May | -2.8 | 19:20:15 | 10° | SW | 19:23:27 | 48° | NW | 19:26:38 | 10° | NNE | visible |
| 18 May | -0.3 | 19:16:33 | 10° | W | 19:17:55 | 12° | WNW | 19:19:19 | 10° | NNW | visible |
Passes from Hobart (AEST)
| Date | Brightness | Start | Highest point | End | Pass type | ||||||
| (mag) | Time | Alt. | Az. | Time | Alt. | Az. | Time | Alt. | Az. | ||
| 10 May | -3.8 | 18:26:20 | 10° | WSW | 18:29:44 | 87° | NNW | 18:31:14 | 30° | NE | visible |
| 11 May | -3.6 | 17:35:28 | 10° | SW | 17:38:49 | 56° | SSE | 17:42:07 | 10° | ENE | visible |
| 11 May | -1.4 | 19:12:35 | 10° | W | 19:15:09 | 20° | NW | 19:15:53 | 19° | NNW | visible |
| 12 May | -2.2 | 18:21:18 | 10° | WSW | 18:24:25 | 35° | NW | 18:27:30 | 10° | NNE | visible |
| 13 May | -3.3 | 17:30:14 | 10° | WSW | 17:33:35 | 65° | NW | 17:36:54 | 10° | NE | visible |
| 14 May | -0.7 | 18:16:52 | 10° | W | 18:18:52 | 15° | NW | 18:20:52 | 10° | NNW | visible |
| 15 May | -1.3 | 17:25:15 | 10° | WSW | 17:28:08 | 26° | NW | 17:30:59 | 10° | NNE | visible |
Passes from Melbourne (AEST)
| Date | Brightness | Start | Highest point | End | Pass type | ||||||
| (mag) | Time | Alt. | Az. | Time | Alt. | Az. | Time | Alt. | Az. | ||
| 10 May | -3.0 | 18:26:58 | 10° | SW | 18:30:05 | 33° | SSE | 18:31:14 | 26° | ESE | visible |
| 10 May | -0.3 | 20:03:47 | 10° | WSW | 20:04:01 | 11° | WSW | 20:04:01 | 11° | WSW | visible |
| 11 May | -2.9 | 19:12:32 | 10° | WSW | 19:15:47 | 47° | NW | 19:15:53 | 46° | NW | visible |
| 12 May | -3.9 | 18:21:33 | 10° | SW | 18:24:56 | 85° | SE | 18:28:01 | 12° | NE | visible |
| 13 May | -0.9 | 19:08:03 | 10° | W | 19:10:19 | 17° | NW | 19:12:34 | 10° | N | visible |
| 14 May | -1.9 | 18:16:30 | 10° | WSW | 18:19:33 | 32° | NW | 18:22:35 | 10° | NNE | visible |
| 16 May | -0.3 | 18:12:33 | 10° | WNW | 18:13:58 | 12° | NW | 18:15:21 | 10° | NNW | visible |
Passes from Perth (AWST)
| Date | Brightness | Start | Highest point | End | Pass type | ||||||
| (mag) | Time | Alt. | Az. | Time | Alt. | Az. | Time | Alt. | Az. | ||
| 10 May | -1.4 | 18:02:07 | 10° | SSE | 18:02:30 | 10° | SSE | 18:02:53 | 10° | SE | visible |
| 10 May | -1.0 | 19:36:10 | 10° | SW | 19:36:48 | 15° | SW | 19:36:48 | 15° | SW | visible |
| 11 May | -3.3 | 18:45:26 | 10° | SSW | 18:48:37 | 39° | SE | 18:48:41 | 39° | SE | visible |
| 12 May | -2.3 | 17:54:57 | 10° | SSW | 17:57:37 | 21° | SE | 18:00:16 | 10° | E | visible |
| 12 May | -1.6 | 19:31:16 | 10° | WSW | 19:33:40 | 26° | WNW | 19:33:40 | 26° | WNW | visible |
| 13 May | -3.3 | 18:40:03 | 10° | SW | 18:43:22 | 62° | NW | 18:46:14 | 13° | NNE | visible |
| 14 May | -3.7 | 17:49:09 | 10° | SW | 17:52:28 | 58° | SE | 17:55:45 | 10° | ENE | visible |
| 15 May | -0.8 | 18:35:26 | 10° | W | 18:37:53 | 19° | NW | 18:40:19 | 10° | N | visible |
Passes from Sydney (AEST)
| Date | Brightness | Start | Highest point | End | Pass type | ||||||
| (mag) | Time | Alt. | Az. | Time | Alt. | Az. | Time | Alt. | Az. | ||
| 10 May | -2.6 | 18:28:45 | 10° | SSW | 18:31:14 | 29° | SSE | 18:31:14 | 29° | SSE | visible |
| 11 May | -2.1 | 17:38:18 | 10° | SSW | 17:40:47 | 19° | SSE | 17:43:05 | 11° | ESE | visible |
| 11 May | -1.4 | 19:14:19 | 10° | WSW | 19:15:53 | 23° | WSW | 19:15:53 | 23° | WSW | visible |
| 12 May | -3.9 | 18:23:17 | 10° | SW | 18:26:39 | 87° | NW | 18:28:01 | 33° | NE | visible |
| 13 May | -3.4 | 17:32:30 | 10° | SW | 17:35:44 | 44° | SE | 17:38:56 | 10° | ENE | visible |
| 13 May | -0.7 | 19:10:18 | 10° | W | 19:11:59 | 13° | NW | 19:13:23 | 11° | NNW | visible |
| 14 May | -1.6 | 18:18:22 | 10° | WSW | 18:21:15 | 26° | NW | 18:24:05 | 10° | N | visible |
| 15 May | -3.0 | 17:27:07 | 10° | SW | 17:30:26 | 57° | NW | 17:33:41 | 10° | NNE | visible |
When and what you will see is VERY location dependent, so you need to use either Heavens Above or CalSky to get site specific predictions for your location, a small difference in location can mean the difference between the ISS passing over a star or missing it completely. As always, start looking several minutes before the pass is going to start to get yourself oriented and your eyes dark adapted. Be patient, there may be slight differences in the time of the ISS appearing due to orbit changes not picked up by the predictions. Use the most recent prediction for your site.
Labels: ISS, Satellite, unaided eye
# posted by Ian Musgrave @ 12:39 am 
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