ISS Fan Club

Hi there to everyone.

Using Wx-Track and Heavens Above, I managed to spot the ISS early this morning. It reached max altitude (90 deg) at approx 5.43am as predicted travelling in an Easterly direction. I've waited about 3 or 4 days for this because the weather here in London UK has been very cloudy during the ISS early morning passes.

Here's the best bit. Just before the ISS flew over, I saw something else but for some reason I thought it was the ISS. I thought, Crikey! it looks more like the pin prick of a star. Surely that's not the ISS I thought. Not quiet travelling towards the East but more N/E. I'm not an experienced observer but I have seen the ISS a few times before and remember it being much bigger so to speak.

Anyway, I watched this other satellite until it disappeared into the sky almost above me. What seemed like only seconds later I really did see the ISS flying over me. Much brighter and larger.

A quick search on the Heavens Above website, showed me that a satellite by the name of UARS (21701) was making a pass over me with a max elevation of 83 deg. I copied the TLE from Space-Track and put it into my WX-Track and there it was as plain as daylight. UARS closely followed by the ISS at approx 5.40 -5.45am.

I didn't know what UARS was so here is the description as described by Heavens Above

"Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite, deployed from the Space Shuttle on mission STS-48"

What a bonus! That's the first time something like this has happened to me. I was not expecting that at all.

I just wanted to share my excitement with you all this morning.