WorldWide Telescope

[otterjb]

Pretty damn cool program. Reminds me that most of the shit that I worry about is just that. To download it, click on, 'experience it' at the bottom of the page. Inside the program, the guided tours, like, "Earth at Night" are pretty nice as is just exploring around the galaxy.

http://www.worldwidetelescope.org/

[mihoba]

Just for info, it's a 20MB d/l.

Hope IM doesn't flag me for this, heh.

[otterjb]

IM?

[austro]

On a slightly related note, there's an ISS and decoupled shuttle pass over Austin tonight at about 9:35. I think it may be an even better view in Houston, but I'm not sure.

[mihoba]

IM?

Information management, the 'puter nazi's.

[Tralfaz]

On a slightly related note, there's an ISS and decoupled shuttle pass over Austin tonight at about 9:35. I think it may be an even better view in Houston, but I'm not sure.

Watched them fly over Austin last night. Clear sky, perfect sighting op from the front yard.

[ybbodeus]

Curious, how long does the visibility last?  I've seen the Hubble pass over, but that's a quickie; it depends completely on sunlight reflection for visibility.  Nevertheless, it was pretty impressive for those few, brief seconds.

An old buddy of mine who served in the Navy used to send coordinates and flight schedules on occasion to alert us to items in the sky.  I presume a shuttle viewing is a bit more prolonged than the Hubble's. 

Thanks.  I'll hang up and listen.

[T. J.]

Curious, how long does the visibility last?  I've seen the Hubble pass over, but that's a quickie; it depends completely on sunlight reflection for visibility.  Nevertheless, it was pretty impressive for those few, brief seconds.

An old buddy of mine who served in the Navy used to send coordinates and flight schedules on occasion to alert us to items in the sky.  I presume a shuttle viewing is a bit more prolonged than the Hubble's. 

Thanks.  I'll hang up and listen.

2-3 minutes.  Here's the schedule for the next few weeks for the Houston area:  http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/realdata/sightings/cities/view.cgi?country=United_States&region=Texas&city=Houston

[austro]

Curious, how long does the visibility last?  I've seen the Hubble pass over, but that's a quickie; it depends completely on sunlight reflection for visibility.  Nevertheless, it was pretty impressive for those few, brief seconds.

An old buddy of mine who served in the Navy used to send coordinates and flight schedules on occasion to alert us to items in the sky.  I presume a shuttle viewing is a bit more prolonged than the Hubble's. 

Thanks.  I'll hang up and listen.

It can be visible for 3 or 4 minutes, but it depends on where you are relative to the orbital path. There's another visible pass tonight, with magnitude 0.5 brightness (pretty bright), but it's only visible from 8:56:03 to 8:58:29 (Austin time). It will be relatively low in the sky, moving from WSW to SSW.

I usually get my info from Heavens Above.

[ybbodeus]

http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/ataglance

Tend to use this one, but I'll definitely add that one, austro.  Thanks.  You, as well, T.J.

[Tralfaz]

It can be visible for 3 or 4 minutes, but it depends on where you are relative to the orbital path. There's another visible pass tonight, with magnitude 0.5 brightness (pretty bright), but it's only visible from 8:56:03 to 8:58:29 (Austin time). It will be relatively low in the sky, moving from WSW to SSW.

I usually get my info from Heavens Above.

That's Houston info right?  I'm not finding another Austin sighting op tonight.

Austin was lucky enough to be in the re-entry path several years ago.  I think it's called a plazma trail (?) that scorches across the night sky like nothing I've ever witnessed.  It has to be a night landing though, Discovery lands Saturday morning.

[austro]

That's Houston info right?  I'm not finding another Austin sighting op tonight.

Austin was lucky enough to be in the re-entry path several years ago.  I think it's called a plazma trail (?) that scorches across the night sky like nothing I've ever witnessed.  It has to be a night landing though, Discovery lands Saturday morning.

D'oh! I still had my viewing preferences set for Los Alamos (I was sending info to my daughter). Switching to Austin reveals that there is no visible pass tonight, but there's a good one tomorrow night from 20:44:16 to 20:49:34 at magnitude -1.0 (which is quite bright), traveling from WNW to SSE.

And, yes, that shuttle plasma trail was spectacular. It was as if the gods were drawing on the sky with a bright orange marker, and it lingered in the sky for 10 minutes or more. Equally impressive was the fact that the machine was back on the ground in Florida 15 minutes after it passed over Austin.