Shuttle Atlantis and space station visible this week.
Posted: Thu May 20, 2010 8:45 am
So anyone else catch it lately? I saw it come over the horizon a few minutes after 8pm yesterday evening. Kinda wish I had a telescope.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13772_3-20005299-52.html
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13772_3-20005299-52.html
Look! Up in the sky! It's not a bird. It's not a plane. It's the Space Shuttle Atlantis and the International Space Station.
From now until Sunday, as the two spacecraft circle the Earth every 90 minutes, they should be visible to sky gazers across the globe. And that's especially true given that the shuttle is docked with the space station during its current mission. Through May 23, the two spacecraft should be visible from certain places on Earth with the naked eye.
"With the Shuttle attached, the [Space] Station appears even brighter than usual in the morning and evening sky," NASA said in a release Tuesday. "The station may be seen every day from various locations around the world just prior to sunrise and just after sunset.
Of course, being able to see anything in the sky depends on good weather. But assuming there's a lot of blue overhead, people in Alabama and Kentucky should get good sightings Tuesday, while those in California and Texas will get their shot on Wednesday. Floridians should have a treat on Thursday.
NASA has set up a Web site that allows anyone to see when--or if--they will be able to see either the shuttle, the space station, or both.
