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PikeSki
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Good Viewing this weekend
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Date:
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5/23/2006 9:40:22 AM
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Should be a great weekend for Star Gazing. The moon will be setting before 9:00pm all weekend giving view to many more stars. There will also be great photo opportunities in the mornings for pictures of the lake as the moon rise will be from 5:00 - 6:00am all weekend.
Skies should be mostly clear in the evenings but partly cloudy on Sunday night.
The international space station 's only showing over the weekend will be on Monday morning at 4:34:28 (visible to the naked eye). It will be a good showing and will rise on the horizon at south / south west and heading to the east.
A few satellite's will be popping in and out of the sky but only for breif viewings.
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BhamGirl
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Good Viewing this weekend
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Date:
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5/23/2006 9:43:28 AM
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Cool, thanks PikeSki.
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roswellric
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Very cool
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5/23/2006 10:25:03 AM
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Would that be Alabama time? I think I'll look. I've never seen the space station... You can't see beans in Atlanta. Do you photograph?
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PikeSki
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Very cool
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Date:
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5/23/2006 10:46:15 AM
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Yes this is Alabama time. Actually, I live in the heart of Dunwoody and watch the space station go over regularly with my eye balls (no mechanical assistance).
Here's some tips on viewing: You can tell that it is the ISS (International space station) because there are no flashing lights (as required on all commercial aircraft). The ISS looks like an airplane (maybe a bit bigger) with its landing light on and no flashing lights at all (no sound either - obviously).
I have posted the link below that you can use. A few tips on using this is: 1. DBL Click on the U.S. 2. DBL Click on Alabama 3. DBL Click on Auburn (This sets the observer location) 4. Click on Next Sighting 5. It will scroll through until it finds the first hit and stop. This will be Monday morning.
6. Once the data comes up click on the "Sky Track" button (this is the cool part). It will show you the exact trajectory of the ISS going over head (yellow is the area that you will be able to see the ISS visibly (sun reflectivity). Red is where you won't be able to see it. (earth will be shadowing the ISS from the sun). You may need to 'level' the horizon with the scroll buttons to have a better understanding of the data.
You can also track other satellites through this tool as well if you want.
I also have a 3-D link if your interested. This shows any satellite and where it is in position over the globe in 3-D and you can put it in fast forward as well.
URL: http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/realdata/sightings/SSapplications/Post/JavaSSOP/JavaSSOP.html
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PikeSki
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Subject: |
Very cool
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Date:
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5/23/2006 10:48:19 AM
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Not sure why the URL didn't post. Here it is manually:
http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/realdata/sightings/SSapplications/Post/JavaSSOP/JavaSSOP.html
URL: ISS Tracking
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GoneFishin
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Subject: |
Hey Pike
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Date:
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5/23/2006 1:15:05 PM
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Thanks, that is neat stuff. Gonna get up in Florida and watch. Wonder if the new boat ban of houseboats would also apply if the space station landed on the lake????????
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roswellric
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Very cool
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Date:
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5/23/2006 2:22:11 PM
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Thanks very much. I'm going to roust out my daughter and her husband who will be down for the holiday.
I lived in the 'Woody for about 18 years - Village Mill. Wherabouts are you?
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PikeSki
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Subject: |
Hey Pike
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Date:
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5/23/2006 3:19:18 PM
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I guess if you broke the ISS into it's various components it might make it under the length restriction and be ok.
However, I'm not sure that the speed at which it travels would qualify. At 17,500 MPH it would cover the longest part of Lake Martin in just under 2 seconds.
Hmmm . . . sounds like my waverunner now that I think about it?
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PikeSki
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Very cool
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Date:
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5/23/2006 3:31:38 PM
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Roswell, We are located near the Perimeter college.
I was calculating an interesting fact. . . . When we drive directly to Lake Martin South/South West from Atlanta it takes just over 2 hours.
The ISS travels North/NorthEast away from the lake. But If you and I hitched a ride on the ISS (from Atlanta) as it went overhead it would have to take us up the easter sea board of the United States, through New foundland Canada, over the north pole, down the back side of the planet along the asia pacific rim, around the south pole, and back up across south america, the gulf of Mexico and back into alabama to get the lake.
The ride on the ISS around the planet would get us to lake martin 30 minutes faster than someone driving.
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Council Roc Doc
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Subject: |
Good Viewing this weekend
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Date:
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5/23/2006 4:20:52 PM
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My daughter, who is an avid astronomer, keeps her telescope at the lake for nights like these coming up. Recently, Jupiter was quite impressive rising in the eastern sky. 4-5 of its moons were also clearly visible. Saturn is always a good show. I have yet to see the ISS but am going to make a point of viewing it this weekend. Thanks for the tip!
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PikeSki
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Subject: |
Good Viewing this weekend
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Date:
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5/23/2006 4:31:21 PM
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I noticed with a cheap pair of binoculars that the Andromeda Galaxy (spiral) is very clear on Lake Martin as well.
Happy gazing and boating !
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JIM
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Subject: |
Good Viewing this weekend
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Date:
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5/23/2006 4:35:59 PM
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Not to change the subject, BUT ,one of the best views that I will remember for a life time as a old man, was I was at the ROCK one day and seen this female strattling a Mercury outboard, drinking a Zima with a Thong and nothing else facing the stern. Now that beats looking at the stars in my boob,excuse me I meant my book.
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Name: |
PikeSki
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Subject: |
Good Viewing this weekend
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Date:
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5/23/2006 4:44:05 PM
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Thats what you call a double star maybe?
I'll leave this alone . . . .
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roswellric
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Now there you go again
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Date:
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5/23/2006 4:50:21 PM
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being a romantic....get control of yourself :-)
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Council Roc Doc
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Subject: |
Good Viewing this weekend
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Date:
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5/23/2006 4:57:27 PM
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As long as we're talking astronomically, Jim , did your "white dwarf" become a "red giant"?
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Name: |
JIM
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Subject: |
Good Viewing this weekend
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Date:
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5/23/2006 5:30:18 PM
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I dont want to go there, but it was mind over matter, if that makes any sense. As Toby Kieth`s song says, I `am not as good as I once was, but good once as I ever was. That song suits me to a T. Still mite be braggin a little bit.
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WSMS
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Subject: |
Good Viewing this weekend
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Date:
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5/23/2006 5:38:58 PM
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Jim used to be interested in star-gazing, until one day a UFO sucked him up and subjected him to their usual "probe."
When they never returned to probe him again, he got frustrated, and gave up waiting.
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Name: |
PikeSki
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Subject: |
Good Viewing this weekend
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Date:
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5/23/2006 5:45:49 PM
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Thats a good one! LMAO
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Name: |
JIM
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Subject: |
Good Viewing this weekend
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Date:
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5/23/2006 6:33:08 PM
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Children, go to your room.
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Name: |
roswellric
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Subject: |
That
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Date:
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5/23/2006 9:15:28 PM
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Was funny.
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Name: |
roswellric
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Subject: |
Good Viewing this weekend
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Date:
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5/23/2006 9:16:24 PM
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Don't be your ususal sensitive self....
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Picking you up was a mistake on my part; my mission was to search the universe for intelligent life, but I found you instead. >8)
Zorkkx out.
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