RE: Visibility vs. Latitude, the ISS and Ground Track Information

From: Ted Molczan (seesat-list@rogers.com)
Date: Thu Aug 10 2006 - 20:38:04 EDT

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    Tom Wagner wrote:
    
    > Finally, I determined that they can never see anything N or S 
    > of about 63 degrees or so. Therefore no observer N or S of those 
    > latitudes will ever see the ISS come over the horizon.
    > 
    > Will someone tell me if my estimates are correct?
    
    Your result is off by quite a few degrees. 
    
    You need to compute the Earth central angle between the radius to the satellite
    and the radius to the point on the Earth at the satellite's horizon, as depicted
    here:
    
    http://satobs.org/seesat_ref/misc/Central_angle.pdf
    
    Since the radius from the satellite to its horizon is tangent to the Earth's
    surface, the solution involves a right triangle, which requires only basic
    trigonometry.
    
    Ted Molczan
    
    
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