My daughter and I were looking at the stars last night when we saw a small illuminated dot go from one side of the horizon to the other. It was too high & too fast to be a plane. I'm thinking it was a satellite.

Yes you can. The ones I see travel north-south.

Old Fart Chime-In Time:

A few years ago (1962, I think) you could see TelStar on a regular basis. Just needed to be a couple of miles away from any town bigger than 2 or 3 thousand (light pollution even then). Of course, TelStar was just a giant reflective balloon.

The shuttle is frequently visible here on the coast, if you know when and where to look.

Yes, you can...

Someone here at the office showed me a link to an interesting site:

www.heavens-above.com

It will give you times and the relative brightness of passing satellites based on your location.

[This message has been edited by CEAg97 (edited 1/9/2003 8:34a).]

Don't know... but I do know that you can't see California without Marlon Brando's eyes if that helps.

The International Space Station is probably one of the easiest satellites to see, as is the Space Shuttle.

maybe if you're superman.

Yes, you can. I have seen them.

love slipknot

You can only see em if they are illuminated by sunlight. In fact, check out this SOLID site !

http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/realdata/sightings/SSapplications/Post/SightingData/sighting_index.html

you can find times when the space shuttle and the space station (ISS) fly over your area !!!! This is REALLY cool, especially when the shuttle is just about to catch or after leaving the ISS. Have seen em fly over many a time, is rad when they disappear right overhead because they go behind earth's shadow.

BTW - according to the original plans, when fully built, supposedly we would be able to see the ISS during daylight - but think the size was scaled back due to $

No, but a spy satellite can see you naked.

Yep, we watch them out at my in-laws all the time.

Do what insanediego says...it's almost too easy to go outside at the appointed time and watch either a satellite or the ISS fly over!

[This message has been edited by Kat81 (edited 1/9/2003 9:40a).]

Thanks, very cool. My daughter and I sat out tonight and watched two of them come over. One was on time, right where the website said it would be.

The other didn't show up on the websites but was there nonetheless.

my neighbors have one on their roof, so I'd say yes.