Re: STS-114 / ISS Double Sun Transit

From: Denis (boucherd@telusplanet.net)
Date: Mon Aug 01 2005 - 19:16:01 EDT

  • Next message: Marco Langbroek: "Obs. data ML 01/08/2005 Lacrosse 5"

    You can use my program, it also predicts iridium flares, transit of any 
    object(Sun, Moon, all planets, RA Dec position, Star), has sky mode or 
    view from space and a bunch of other stuff. It has auto-download from 
    Space-Track. It is free and works on win98se, Me, 2000, xp.
    
    http://www3.telus.net/public/boucherd/main.htm
    
    Denis
    
    Rainer Kresken wrote:
    > Gerhard,
    > 
    > and how do I know what the course of the groundpath is and when a transit
    > occurs close to my home?
    > 
    > Rainer 
    > 
    > 
    >>I've used a 3 inch Apo-refractor with an ND5 glass sun filter, just what I 
    >>normally use for sun observations. We also had a 5 inch refractor and two 8 
    >>inch SCTs (one was used for the camera) with ND5 sun screen foil for visual 
    >>observations and ND4 foil for the camera (to allow higher speed). The ISS is 
    >>so small that you do need a telescope to observe the transit. Solar eclipse 
    >>glasses or so won't do. The magnification I use for such observations depends 
    >>on the elevation of the sun at the time. With a very high sun the transit is 
    >>short (e.g. 0.5 sec) in which case my eyes find it easier to see something 
    >>with a 40x magnification. If the transit is slower (which happens at lower 
    >>sun elevations) I use higher powers. But this is something very individual to 
    >>each observer I guess.
    >>
    >>
    >>
    >>>I'd sure like to try to see a solar transit of the station sometime.  I saw 
    >>>the venus transit and it was really wicked.
    >>
    >>Solar transits of the ISS are quite frequent. If you don't mind travelling 
    >>some 30 miles or so you should expect 2 or 3 transits a month at your 
    >>latitude of 41.7°. If you live close to 50° latitude as I do you seem to get 
    >>them even more often (at least during the summer). Two years ago I was able 
    >>to observe 4 transits within one month without even leaving the house!
    >>
    >>Clear skies (day and night)
    >>
    >>Gerhard HOLTKAMP
    >>Darmstadt, Germany
    >>
    >>
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    > 
    > 
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