Sunday, April 19, 2020
The ISS passes through the Milky Way (19-27 April, 2020)
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| The ISS as seen from Sydney on the evening of Sunday 19 April at 18:46 AEST. Simulated in Stellarium (the ISS will actually be a bright dot), click to embiggen. | The ISS as seen from Adelaide on the evening of Monday 20 April at 19:04 ACST. Simulated in Stellarium (the ISS will actually be a bright dot), click to embiggen. | The ISS as seen from Perth on the evening of Tuesday 21 April at 18:19 AWST. Simulated in Stellarium (the ISS will actually be a bright dot)click to embiggen. |
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| All sky chart showing local times from Heavens Above for Sunday 19 April for Sydney. | All sky chart showing local times from Heavens Above for Monday 20 April for Adelaide. | All sky chart showing local times from Heavens Above for Tuesday 21 April for Perth. |
Over the next few days there are a series of bright ISS passes in the early evening. The outstanding passes are when the ISS is in the milky way, where it passes by bright Venus, Orion, Sirus and Canopus.
The following tables are from data provided from Heavens Above.
Passes from Adelaide (ACST)
| Date | Brightness | Start | Highest point | End | Pass type | ||||||
| (mag) | Time | Alt. | Az. | Time | Alt. | Az. | Time | Alt. | Az. | ||
| 18 Apr | -3.0 | 18:59:03 | 10° | NNW | 19:02:08 | 33° | NE | 19:02:24 | 33° | ENE | visible |
| 19 Apr | -2.0 | 18:12:39 | 10° | N | 18:15:06 | 19° | NE | 18:17:34 | 10° | E | visible |
| 19 Apr | -1.8 | 19:48:32 | 10° | WNW | 19:50:46 | 29° | WSW | 19:50:46 | 29° | WSW | visible |
| 20 Apr | -3.4 | 19:01:05 | 10° | WNW | 19:04:28 | 64° | SW | 19:05:57 | 30° | SSE | visible |
| 21 Apr | -3.7 | 18:13:54 | 10° | NW | 18:17:17 | 67° | NE | 18:20:41 | 10° | SE | visible |
| 21 Apr | -0.9 | 19:52:16 | 10° | WSW | 19:54:01 | 15° | SW | 19:54:01 | 15° | SW | visible |
| 22 Apr | -1.6 | 19:04:14 | 10° | W | 19:07:01 | 22° | SSW | 19:08:57 | 15° | S | visible |
| 23 Apr | -2.3 | 18:16:30 | 10° | WNW | 18:19:40 | 35° | SW | 18:22:52 | 10° | SSE | visible |
| 24 Apr | -0.9 | 19:08:49 | 10° | SW | 19:09:47 | 11° | SSW | 19:10:46 | 10° | S | visible |
| 25 Apr | -1.1 | 18:20:11 | 10° | WSW | 18:22:17 | 15° | SSW | 18:24:24 | 10° | S | visible |
Passes from Brisbane (AEST)
| Date | Brightness | Start | Highest point | End | Pass type | ||||||
| (mag) | Time | Alt. | Az. | Time | Alt. | Az. | Time | Alt. | Az. | ||
| 18 Apr | -2.5 | 17:53:28 | 10° | N | 17:56:21 | 26° | NE | 17:59:16 | 10° | ESE | visible |
| 18 Apr | -1.0 | 19:30:38 | 10° | W | 19:32:25 | 18° | WSW | 19:32:25 | 18° | WSW | visible |
| 19 Apr | -2.2 | 18:42:45 | 10° | WNW | 18:45:52 | 33° | SW | 18:47:45 | 19° | S | visible |
| 20 Apr | -3.4 | 17:55:16 | 10° | NW | 17:58:38 | 66° | SW | 18:02:03 | 10° | SE | visible |
| 21 Apr | -0.8 | 18:47:29 | 10° | SW | 18:48:32 | 11° | SW | 18:49:36 | 10° | SSW | visible |
| 22 Apr | -1.2 | 17:58:42 | 10° | W | 18:01:09 | 18° | SW | 18:03:37 | 10° | S | visible |
Passes from Darwin (ACT)
| Date | Brightness | Start | Highest point | End | Pass type | ||||||
| (mag) | Time | Alt. | Az. | Time | Alt. | Az. | Time | Alt. | Az. | ||
| 19 Apr | -0.7 | 04:53:30 | 14° | NE | 04:53:30 | 14° | NE | 04:54:04 | 10° | NE | visible |
Passes from Hobart (AEST)
| Date | Brightness | Start | Highest point | End | Pass type | ||||||
| (mag) | Time | Alt. | Az. | Time | Alt. | Az. | Time | Alt. | Az. | ||
| 19 Apr | -2.0 | 18:45:28 | 10° | N | 18:47:45 | 18° | NE | 18:47:45 | 18° | NE | visible |
| 20 Apr | -1.4 | 17:59:51 | 10° | NNE | 18:00:55 | 11° | NE | 18:02:00 | 10° | ENE | visible |
| 20 Apr | -2.4 | 19:33:48 | 10° | NW | 19:35:57 | 36° | NW | 19:35:57 | 36° | NW | visible |
| 21 Apr | -3.5 | 18:46:44 | 10° | NW | 18:50:03 | 51° | NE | 18:51:01 | 37° | E | visible |
| 21 Apr | -0.2 | 20:23:55 | 10° | W | 20:24:01 | 11° | W | 20:24:01 | 11° | W | visible |
| 22 Apr | -2.7 | 17:59:53 | 10° | NNW | 18:02:56 | 31° | NE | 18:05:57 | 10° | ESE | visible |
| 22 Apr | -2.2 | 19:36:25 | 10° | W | 19:38:57 | 35° | WSW | 19:38:57 | 35° | WSW | visible |
| 23 Apr | -3.4 | 18:49:00 | 10° | WNW | 18:52:23 | 61° | SSW | 18:53:47 | 32° | SE | visible |
| 24 Apr | -3.7 | 18:01:43 | 10° | NW | 18:05:08 | 86° | NNE | 18:08:31 | 10° | ESE | visible |
| 24 Apr | -1.5 | 19:39:23 | 10° | WSW | 19:41:31 | 23° | SW | 19:41:31 | 23° | SW | visible |
| 25 Apr | -2.2 | 18:51:47 | 10° | W | 18:54:53 | 30° | SSW | 18:56:11 | 23° | SSE | visible |
| 26 Apr | -2.7 | 18:04:14 | 10° | W | 18:07:31 | 41° | SSW | 18:10:49 | 10° | SE | visible |
| 26 Apr | -1.1 | 19:42:25 | 10° | SW | 19:43:47 | 16° | SSW | 19:43:47 | 16° | SSW | visible |
| 27 Apr | -1.8 | 18:54:48 | 10° | WSW | 18:57:31 | 21° | S | 18:58:22 | 19° | S | visible |
| 28 Apr | -2.0 | 18:07:09 | 10° | WSW | 18:10:02 | 24° | SSW | 18:12:54 | 10° | SE | visible |
| 28 Apr | -0.8 | 19:45:07 | 10° | SW | 19:45:53 | 14° | SSW | 19:45:53 | 14° | SSW | visible |
Passes from Melbourne (AEST)
| Date | Brightness | Start | Highest point | End | Pass type | ||||||
| (mag) | Time | Alt. | Az. | Time | Alt. | Az. | Time | Alt. | Az. | ||
| 18 Apr | -2.4 | 19:30:23 | 10° | NNW | 19:32:24 | 30° | N | 19:32:24 | 30° | N | visible |
| 19 Apr | -2.5 | 18:43:42 | 10° | N | 18:46:35 | 26° | NE | 18:47:45 | 21° | E | visible |
| 19 Apr | -0.5 | 20:20:11 | 10° | W | 20:20:46 | 14° | W | 20:20:46 | 14° | W | visible |
| 20 Apr | -3.1 | 19:32:42 | 10° | WNW | 19:35:57 | 53° | SW | 19:35:57 | 53° | SW | visible |
| 21 Apr | -3.8 | 18:45:24 | 10° | NW | 18:48:49 | 88° | NE | 18:51:01 | 21° | SE | visible |
| 21 Apr | -0.2 | 20:23:47 | 10° | WSW | 20:24:01 | 11° | WSW | 20:24:01 | 11° | WSW | visible |
| 22 Apr | -1.7 | 19:35:52 | 10° | W | 19:38:38 | 22° | SSW | 19:38:57 | 22° | SSW | visible |
| 23 Apr | -2.2 | 18:48:09 | 10° | W | 18:51:16 | 32° | SSW | 18:53:47 | 14° | SSE | visible |
| 24 Apr | -1.0 | 19:39:49 | 10° | SW | 19:41:25 | 13° | SSW | 19:41:31 | 13° | SSW | visible |
| 25 Apr | -1.2 | 18:51:41 | 10° | WSW | 18:53:55 | 16° | SSW | 18:56:10 | 10° | SSE | visible |
| 26 Apr | -1.6 | 18:03:43 | 10° | W | 18:06:27 | 22° | SSW | 18:09:13 | 10° | SSE | visible |
| 27 Apr | -0.9 | 18:56:16 | 10° | SSW | 18:56:45 | 10° | SSW | 18:57:14 | 10° | S | visible |
Passes from Perth (AWST)
| Date | Brightness | Start | Highest point | End | Pass type | ||||||
| (mag) | Time | Alt. | Az. | Time | Alt. | Az. | Time | Alt. | Az. | ||
| 18 Apr | -2.5 | 17:53:28 | 10° | N | 17:56:21 | 26° | NE | 17:59:16 | 10° | ESE | visible |
| 18 Apr | -1.0 | 19:30:38 | 10° | W | 19:32:25 | 18° | WSW | 19:32:25 | 18° | WSW | visible |
| 19 Apr | -2.2 | 18:42:45 | 10° | WNW | 18:45:52 | 33° | SW | 18:47:45 | 19° | S | visible |
| 20 Apr | -3.4 | 17:55:16 | 10° | NW | 17:58:38 | 66° | SW | 18:02:03 | 10° | SE | visible |
| 21 Apr | -0.8 | 18:47:29 | 10° | SW | 18:48:32 | 11° | SW | 18:49:36 | 10° | SSW | visible |
| 22 Apr | -1.2 | 17:58:42 | 10° | W | 18:01:09 | 18° | SW | 18:03:37 | 10° | S | visible |
Passes from Sydney (AEST)
| Date | Brightness | Start | Highest point | End | Pass type | ||||||
| (mag) | Time | Alt. | Az. | Time | Alt. | Az. | Time | Alt. | Az. | ||
| 19 Apr | -3.8 | 18:43:21 | 10° | NW | 18:46:45 | 84° | NE | 18:47:45 | 43° | SE | visible |
| 20 Apr | -3.2 | 17:56:23 | 10° | NNW | 17:59:36 | 42° | NE | 18:02:53 | 10° | ESE | visible |
| 20 Apr | -1.1 | 19:34:04 | 10° | W | 19:35:57 | 18° | SW | 19:35:57 | 18° | SW | visible |
| 21 Apr | -2.0 | 18:46:13 | 10° | W | 18:49:14 | 29° | SW | 18:51:01 | 18° | S | visible |
| 22 Apr | -2.9 | 17:58:37 | 10° | WNW | 18:01:56 | 49° | SW | 18:05:17 | 10° | SE | visible |
| 23 Apr | -0.9 | 18:50:22 | 10° | SW | 18:51:57 | 13° | SSW | 18:53:32 | 10° | S | visible |
| 24 Apr | -1.3 | 18:02:01 | 10° | WSW | 18:04:29 | 18° | SSW | 18:06:59 | 10° | SSE | 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 planet 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 @ 10:14 am 
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