Monday, December 23, 2024
Bright ISS passes for Christmas!
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| ISS as seen from Adelaide on the evening of Wednesday 25 December at 22:09 ACDST. Simulated in Stellarium. Click to embiggen. | ISS as seen from Melbourne on the evening of Wednesday 25 December at 22:28 AEDST. Simulated in Stellarium (the ISS will actually be a bright dot). Click to embiggen. | ISS as seen from Perth on the evening of Wednesday 25 December at 21:12 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 Wednesday 25 December for Adelaide. | All sky chart showing local times from Heavens Above for Wednesday 25 December for Melbourne. | All sky chart showing local times from Heavens Above for Wednesday 25 Decemberfor Perth. |
Over the next few days most of Australia will see some very nice bright passes of the ISS, some passing bright stars or Venus or Jupiter. For most of Australia (sorry Darwin and Brisbane) there is a very nice pass on Christmas day.
The following tables are from data provided from Heavens Above.
Passes from Adelaide (ACDST/ACST)
| Date | Brightness | Start | Highest point | End | Pass type | ||||||
| (mag) | Time | Alt. | Az. | Time | Alt. | Az. | Time | Alt. | Az. | ||
| 22 Dec | -2.1 | 22:56:54 | 10° | SSW | 22:59:34 | 29° | SSE | 22:59:34 | 29° | SSE | visible |
| 23 Dec | -1.6 | 22:08:07 | 10° | SSW | 22:10:38 | 19° | SSE | 22:12:05 | 15° | ESE | visible |
| 23 Dec | -0.9 | 23:44:15 | 10° | WSW | 23:44:56 | 15° | WSW | 23:44:56 | 15° | WSW | visible |
| 24 Dec | -1.1 | 21:19:33 | 10° | S | 21:21:12 | 13° | SSE | 21:22:51 | 10° | SE | visible |
| 24 Dec | -2.8 | 22:54:56 | 10° | SW | 22:57:29 | 47° | SW | 22:57:29 | 47° | SW | visible |
| 25 Dec | -3.1 | 22:05:48 | 10° | SW | 22:09:06 | 45° | SE | 22:10:04 | 34° | E | visible |
| 26 Dec | -2.1 | 21:16:48 | 10° | SSW | 21:19:45 | 26° | SE | 21:22:40 | 10° | E | visible |
| 26 Dec | -1.8 | 22:53:30 | 10° | WSW | 22:55:31 | 23° | WNW | 22:55:31 | 23° | WNW | visible |
| 27 Dec | -3.3 | 22:03:54 | 10° | WSW | 22:07:13 | 53° | NW | 22:08:10 | 38° | N | visible |
| 28 Dec | -3.7 | 21:14:33 | 10° | SW | 21:17:57 | 75° | SE | 21:20:51 | 13° | NE | visible |
| 29 Dec | -1.5 | 22:02:48 | 10° | W | 22:05:01 | 16° | NW | 22:06:26 | 13° | NNW | visible |
| 30 Dec | -2.3 | 21:12:45 | 10° | WSW | 21:15:48 | 31° | NW | 21:18:49 | 10° | NNE | visible |
Passes from Brisbane (AEST)
| Date | Brightness | Start | Highest point | End | Pass type | ||||||
| (mag) | Time | Alt. | Az. | Time | Alt. | Az. | Time | Alt. | Az. | ||
| 23 Dec | -0.4 | 21:41:45 | 10° | SSW | 21:42:05 | 12° | SSW | 21:42:05 | 12° | SSW | visible |
| 24 Dec | -1.1 | 20:53:24 | 10° | S | 20:54:38 | 13° | SSE | 20:54:38 | 13° | SSE | visible |
| 25 Dec | -0.5 | 21:39:30 | 10° | SW | 21:40:04 | 14° | SW | 21:40:04 | 14° | SW | visible |
| 26 Dec | -2.2 | 20:50:25 | 10° | SSW | 20:52:40 | 31° | S | 20:52:40 | 31° | S | visible |
| 27 Dec | -1.9 | 20:01:37 | 10° | S | 20:04:16 | 21° | SE | 20:05:19 | 18° | ESE | visible |
| 28 Dec | -1.2 | 19:13:23 | 10° | SSE | 19:14:47 | 12° | SE | 19:16:11 | 10° | ESE | visible |
| 28 Dec | -2.5 | 20:48:24 | 10° | SW | 20:50:51 | 38° | W | 20:50:51 | 38° | W | visible |
| 29 Dec | -3.8 | 19:59:01 | 10° | SW | 20:02:23 | 72° | SE | 20:03:35 | 36° | ENE | visible |
| 30 Dec | -2.6 | 19:09:54 | 10° | SSW | 19:13:00 | 33° | SE | 19:16:03 | 10° | ENE | visible |
| 30 Dec | -1.1 | 20:47:43 | 10° | W | 20:49:13 | 13° | WNW | 20:49:13 | 13° | WNW | visible |
| 31 Dec | -2.1 | 19:57:15 | 10° | WSW | 20:00:10 | 27° | NW | 20:02:03 | 16° | N | visible |
Passes from Darwin (ACST)
| Date | Brightness | Start | Highest point | End | Pass type | ||||||
| (mag) | Time | Alt. | Az. | Time | Alt. | Az. | Time | Alt. | Az. | ||
| 31 Dec | -2.0 | 21:03:02 | 10° | SSW | 21:04:55 | 30° | SSW | 21:04:55 | 30° | SSW | visible |
Passes from Hobart (AEDST/AEST)
| Date | Brightness | Start | Highest point | End | Pass type | ||||||
| (mag) | Time | Alt. | Az. | Time | Alt. | Az. | Time | Alt. | Az. | ||
| 23 Dec | -3.6 | 22:37:36 | 10° | WSW | 22:40:58 | 62° | NW | 22:42:05 | 36° | NNE | visible |
| 24 Dec | -3.7 | 21:48:22 | 10° | SW | 21:51:47 | 79° | SSE | 21:54:38 | 14° | ENE | visible |
| 24 Dec | -1.3 | 23:26:13 | 10° | W | 23:27:29 | 13° | WNW | 23:27:29 | 13° | WNW | visible |
| 25 Dec | -2.1 | 22:36:15 | 10° | W | 22:39:02 | 24° | NW | 22:40:04 | 20° | NNW | visible |
| 26 Dec | -2.9 | 21:46:41 | 10° | WSW | 21:49:55 | 40° | NW | 21:52:40 | 13° | NNE | visible |
| 28 Dec | -1.4 | 21:45:33 | 10° | W | 21:47:44 | 16° | NW | 21:49:53 | 10° | N | visible |
Passes from Melbourne (AEDST/AEST)
| Date | Brightness | Start | Highest point | End | Pass type | ||||||
| (mag) | Time | Alt. | Az. | Time | Alt. | Az. | Time | Alt. | Az. | ||
| 23 Dec | -3.1 | 22:38:04 | 10° | SW | 22:41:23 | 47° | SE | 22:42:05 | 39° | ESE | visible |
| 24 Dec | -2.2 | 21:49:04 | 10° | SSW | 21:52:06 | 29° | SSE | 21:54:38 | 13° | E | visible |
| 24 Dec | -1.7 | 23:25:46 | 10° | WSW | 23:27:29 | 22° | W | 23:27:29 | 22° | W | visible |
| 25 Dec | -3.6 | 22:36:18 | 10° | WSW | 22:39:38 | 57° | NW | 22:40:04 | 52° | N | visible |
| 26 Dec | -3.7 | 21:47:00 | 10° | SW | 21:50:25 | 74° | SE | 21:52:40 | 19° | ENE | visible |
| 27 Dec | -1.8 | 22:35:05 | 10° | W | 22:37:33 | 19° | NW | 22:38:10 | 18° | NW | visible |
| 28 Dec | -2.6 | 21:45:16 | 10° | WSW | 21:48:24 | 35° | NW | 21:50:51 | 14° | NNE | visible |
| 30 Dec | -1.1 | 21:44:39 | 10° | WNW | 21:46:04 | 12° | NW | 21:47:28 | 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. | ||
| 22 Dec | -1.3 | 22:00:39 | 10° | SSW | 22:02:24 | 19° | S | 22:02:24 | 19° | S | visible |
| 23 Dec | -1.2 | 21:12:12 | 10° | S | 21:14:01 | 14° | SSE | 21:14:56 | 13° | SE | visible |
| 23 Dec | -0.3 | 22:47:40 | 10° | SW | 22:47:46 | 11° | SW | 22:47:46 | 11° | SW | visible |
| 24 Dec | -1.8 | 21:58:26 | 10° | SW | 22:00:19 | 30° | SSW | 22:00:19 | 30° | SSW | visible |
| 25 Dec | -2.6 | 21:09:26 | 10° | SSW | 21:12:33 | 33° | SE | 21:12:54 | 32° | SE | visible |
| 26 Dec | -1.7 | 20:20:37 | 10° | SSW | 20:23:10 | 19° | SE | 20:25:31 | 11° | E | visible |
| 26 Dec | -1.5 | 21:56:50 | 10° | WSW | 21:58:21 | 21° | W | 21:58:21 | 21° | W | visible |
| 27 Dec | -3.8 | 21:07:20 | 10° | SW | 21:10:42 | 71° | NW | 21:11:00 | 65° | N | visible |
| 28 Dec | -3.4 | 20:18:04 | 10° | SW | 20:21:25 | 54° | SE | 20:23:42 | 18° | ENE | visible |
| 29 Dec | -1.8 | 21:06:00 | 10° | W | 21:08:32 | 20° | NW | 21:09:17 | 18° | NW | visible |
| 30 Dec | -2.7 | 20:16:06 | 10° | WSW | 20:19:19 | 40° | NW | 20:22:04 | 12° | NNE | visible |
Passes from Sydney (AEDST/AEST)
| Date | Brightness | Start | Highest point | End | Pass type | ||||||
| (mag) | Time | Alt. | Az. | Time | Alt. | Az. | Time | Alt. | Az. | ||
| 23 Dec | -2.1 | 22:39:49 | 10° | SW | 22:42:05 | 34° | S | 22:42:05 | 34° | S | visible |
| 24 Dec | -2.2 | 21:50:54 | 10° | SSW | 21:53:50 | 27° | SE | 21:54:38 | 24° | ESE | visible |
| 25 Dec | -1.4 | 21:02:08 | 10° | SSW | 21:04:27 | 17° | SSE | 21:06:45 | 10° | ESE | visible |
| 25 Dec | -2.0 | 22:38:03 | 10° | WSW | 22:40:04 | 30° | WSW | 22:40:04 | 30° | WSW | visible |
| 26 Dec | -3.8 | 21:48:44 | 10° | SW | 21:52:08 | 80° | SE | 21:52:40 | 59° | ENE | visible |
| 27 Dec | -2.9 | 20:59:35 | 10° | SSW | 21:02:50 | 40° | SE | 21:05:19 | 15° | ENE | visible |
| 27 Dec | -1.1 | 22:37:14 | 10° | W | 22:38:10 | 13° | WNW | 22:38:10 | 13° | WNW | visible |
| 28 Dec | -2.4 | 21:47:07 | 10° | WSW | 21:50:06 | 29° | NW | 21:50:51 | 26° | NNW | visible |
| 29 Dec | -3.4 | 20:57:31 | 10° | SW | 21:00:51 | 60° | NW | 21:03:35 | 14° | NNE | visible |
| 31 Dec | -1.4 | 20:56:11 | 10° | W | 20:58:33 | 18° | NW | 21:00:54 | 10° | N | visible |
When and what you will see is VERY location dependent, so you need to use Heavens Above to get site specific predictions for your location, a small difference in location can mean the difference between ISS passing over the Moon or a 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, Venus
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