Space Station question

[cocheese 0]

Does the space station appear closer while over say Florida compared to Michigan? All I see here is a bright light, but one time in Florida I saw it and it looked like it was just a few miles away.

It's about 200 miles up, but how much can that differ when flying over the equator as opposed to the poles?

My avitar is a sunset pic from the station.

[MrDree 0]

I guess it also depends on its orientation relatively to the sun. Like those satellites which appear blinking because they rotate.

"One day, your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure it's worth watching."

Dudeist Skydiver #101

[millertime24 8]

Im guessing air quality and ambient light might play a factor too. Ever noticed while on a camping trip (almost no ambient light) you can see the stars much more clearly and more of them compared to say in the city?

Muff #5048

[cocheese 0]

The question is: Does the station come closer to the equator than it does to the poles?

Since the planet is wider in the middle and flatter near the poles, does it appear larger in the sky in Florida than Michigan?

[ZigZagMarquis 9]

Quote

Does the space station appear closer while over say Florida compared to Michigan? All I see here is a bright light, but one time in Florida I saw it and it looked like it was just a few miles away.

It's about 200 miles up, but how much can that differ when flying over the equator as opposed to the poles?

Hmmm... it must be running low on whale oil. Isn't that what NASA uses to fuel the space station and maintain its orbit?

[muff528 3]

Quote

Does the space station appear closer while over say Florida compared to Michigan? All I see here is a bright light, but one time in Florida I saw it and it looked like it was just a few miles away.

It's about 200 miles up, but how much can that differ when flying over the equator as opposed to the poles?

My avitar is a sunset pic from the station.

I think the difference between polar radius and equatorial radius is about 13 miles.

[theonlyski 8]

Quote

The question is: Does the station come closer to the equator than it does to the poles?

Since the planet is wider in the middle and flatter near the poles, does it appear larger in the sky in Florida than Michigan?

Hate to be the one to break it to you, but the world is ROUND!

"I may be a dirty pirate hooker...but I'm not about to go stand on the corner." iluvtofly
DPH -7, TDS 578, Muff 5153, SCR 14890
I'm an asshole, and I approve this message

[wmw999 2,589]

All I see in Houston is a bright light.

Wendy P.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[Beerlight 0]

You'll need to ask BillVon or Quade that question.

I'm sure they'll let you know

[quade 4]

Quote

Hate to be the one to break it to you, but the world is ROUND!

Well, it depends on what your definition of the word "round" is.

It would be rounder if it wasn't spinning around on its north / south axis once every 24ish hours.

The centrifugal force of the spinning causes the equator to bulge slightly. The distance through the center of the earth north to south is just slightly less than it would be from zero degrees longitude on the equator to 180.

Just going from memory, which could be a very bad thing for me to do, I think the difference is something like 0.16%. You're not going to see that in a photo, but it's there none the less.

If you look at some of the other planets, like Saturn, it's far more obvious.

Getting back to the original topic though, the International Space Station has what most would consider to be a circular orbit, but even at that it varies in altitude depending on where it is from about 175 miles to 265 miles above the surface of the earth. Like anything at those altitudes, it's still subjected to a very slight amount of atmospheric drag and is boosted slightly higher several times each year.

Visual perception of the ISS from the ground varies quite a bit depending on sun angles reflecting light in the observer's direction. That accounts for the vast majority of difference in brightness you've seen.

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[popsjumper 2]

I saw the space station clearly once....

It said, "Shell Oil".

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

[lawrocket 3]

I would say No. The difference in the apparent size of the ISS would likely have to do with atmospheric conditions. Normally, it is only visible at dusk or dawn and only then if it's in a position to be seen. If the sun has just set and it enters your field of view and passing at maximum elevation of 90 degrees, then it'll appears closer because it IS closer than at a max elevation of 60 degrees.

Considering thet the ISS has a high orbital inclination (so that the Russians can reach it from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan) its orbit will take it over the Michigan LP (something that straight orbital missions usually wouldn't because of the excess fuel needed to reach orbit at higher inclinations).

However, the sighting opportunities will be fewer in Michigan because it only gets one shot per orbit at overflight - but possibly longer since it's at around peak latitude in orbit around Michigan.

Here's a link to real time ISS data.
http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/realdata/tracking/index.html
Here's real time orbital tracking for the ISS.

Here's one of my favorite sites that gives sighting opportunities for the ISS. http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/realdata/sightings/cities/skywatch.cgi?country=United+States

My wife is hotter than your wife.

[wayneflorida 0]

The height varies over time. I don't think the variation in height has much too do with visibility. More likely the angle to sun reflects off the ISS,
the attitude in the sky and the sky conditions.
Good web site is "heavens above"

http://www.heavens-above.com/IssHeight.aspx?lat=30.406&lng=-86.619&loc=Fort+Walton+Beach&alt=0&tz=CST