cool site for sky watchers, teachers and anybody who wants to take a shot at that falling satellite

[havocmom]

http://heavens-above.com/

Cool data. You can put in locations or coordinates (got mine from zeroing in on the house on google earth) and they will store (if you register) the data to provide you with info on astronomy, satellite passes visible from your location, even some MISC. (I love MISC)

Really cool. Check it out if you like the sky.

[this_side_up]

1. do they know where it will hit?

Have you heard what time the Navy will make its
first attempt?

Thanks for posting this information.

[pokerfan]

3. I heard that the first attempt will be made Thursday

As to where it will hit, I think there are simply too many variables to make an accurate prediction. Seventy percent chance it hits an ocean if that helps.

[Adsos Letter]

4. That is what CNN is saying also....

link: http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/space/02/18/satellite.intercept/index.html

looks like the Navy is being coy about the specific timing.

[pokerfan]

6. I don't think that they're necessarily being coy

Their choice of launch window is probably weather dependent.

But 'shooting down' is a misnomer. It's not just going to fall out of the sky immediately. As I understand it, the goal is to rupture to tank of hydrazine before the satellite enters the atmosphere.

[pokerfan]

2. Yeah, it's a very cool site

One can get by with a rough approximation of your location for most events, but Iridium Flares require an accurate fix as the phenomenon tends to be localized, both in space and time. HA is a great resource for predicting Iridium Flares. I've been using it for years.

Another cool site is current status of the Auroral Oval which is a predictor of Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights):
http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/pmap/pmapN.html

[havocmom]

8. I love the noaa site. When we have had solar flares, I tend to run the site on a tap at night

I signed up for the email updates from http://www.spaceweather.com/ so I get a heads-up when something cool is happening in the sky (and I LOVE their photo galleries). Then, when I am DUing in the evening, I open a tab with the aurora graph, so I know when to trot outside for a bit of fun watching the sky.

Live in a cold climate, so not out there just gazing a lot in winter. The site saves me a lot of frostbite!

[Kutjara]

5. I used to use Heavens Above for stargazing with my iPAQ.

In recent years, though, I turned to using the Starry Night widget for Mac OS, which connects to Starry Night's online stellarium service. I also use Celestia and, occasionally, xEphem on Linux. I'd forgotten how much useful info HA has on it. I think I'll start making it a regular part of my astronomical info gathering regime. Thanks for the reminder, havocmom.

[havocmom]

7. Thanks for more sites! I have some youngsters I try to inspire to use computers for learning

Sites that really engage them are a big step away from mindless online games. I hate seeing the 8-14 years olds sitting there, looking like zombies, playing useless games. Good sites get them awake again.

[pokerfan]

9. More sites

I was the editor of the newsletter for the local astronomy club for a number of years. I have a bunch of links.

The Messier Catalog:
http://seds.org/messier
http://www.astroleague.org/al/obsclubs/master/master.html
(Don't have a telescope? There's a binocular observing club.)

Tour of the Solar System
http://www.nineplanets.org
http://kids.nineplanets.org

Find an astronomy club or organization near you:
http://www.skyandtelescope.com/community/organizations

Astronomers forecast:
http://cleardarksky.com/csk/index.html#clock_list

What's up Tonight:
http://www2.jpl.nasa.gov/calendar/calendar.html
http://www.spaceweather.com

Free interactive planetarium:
http://www.fourmilab.ch/yoursky

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Moon:
http://www.shallowsky.com/moon/hitchhiker.html

Bad Astronomy (Myths and misconceptions. Includes an introduction, brief biography, and discussion board.)
http://www.badastronomy.com/intro.html

Eratosthenes Experiment
A Worldwide Science and Math Experiment
March 19, 2008
http://www.youth.net/eratosthenes

Top 10 Space Urban Legends -
http://space.about.com/od/fungamesandhumor/tp/tpspacemyths.htm


Not astronomical but still interesting:

Bad Movie Physics:
http://intuitor.com/moviephysics

Ask Dr. Math:
http://mathforum.org/dr.math

[havocmom]

10. Way cool!

Thanks!

[Kali]

11. don't forget to check out the eclipse of full moon tomorrow night

if you have a clear sky.

[havocmom]

12. I would love to, but will probably be stuck inside.

Hope to get out before the show is over.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

15. We're supposed to get snow...

but one weatherman said it could be clear about midway through the eclipse. I'm hoping!

[havocmom]

17. I need a REALLY TALL peirscope. Seems it almost always gets cloudy

when something cool is going on in the sky

[RushIsRot]

13. I probably did this wrong, but I could get no coordinates.

I easily zeroed in on my house in the woods, but saw no coordinates. Could you please explain how you did that?

BTW, that's a really great site! Thanks.

[havocmom]

16. On your Google Earth screen, there should be a narrow info bar

The coordinates of your cursor should be visible there unless you have the view on full screen. The elevation will also be there along with the % of the image. Hope that works. If not, maybe the way you have it configured has that info bar turned off. *

* just looked at mine and didn't see any checked item that would turn off that bottom info bar, but then, I haven't had much coffee yet ;)

[liberaltrucker]

14. Bookmarked, TYVM!

:toast: