Posted by David Hamilton on December 1st, 2009

Over the Thanksgiving weekend, NASA put on quite a show for the astronomically-inclined, as the International Space Station and space shuttle Atlantis docked, then decoupled and flew in tandem formation for about a day.  The effect, even more light-polluted areas, was something special.  I witnessed the chase on Thursday evening, when the ISS, brighter than Venus or Jupiter, rose over the horizon and transited directly overhead, followed by a slightly dimmer SST about a minute behind.  The pair were visible to the unaided eye for about five minutes, and some alert and well-equipped observers were able to get spectacular images with simple telescopes.

The ISS in transit, November 29th, from the NASA amateur photo gallery

For folks interested in stepping out to observe phenomena like this, the internet age has made it easier than ever.  A number of websites track satellites and celestial phenomena, and will alert you by email (or text, or twitter…) when something spectacular is happening.  They’ll even tell you when and where to look, customized to your zip code.

Filed under: Bundoran Farm Events and Occasions, Education and Inspiration, General, Nature/Environment