Shuttle, space station visible overhead tonight

Media General News Service
Published: November 20, 2008

The space shuttle Endeavour and the International Space Station are about to make a dramatic sweep over Central Virginia, according to an astronomy professor at the University of Virginia.

The first and best pass will take place this evening, said Ed Murphy, an associate professor.

Murphy’s recommendation for viewing the shuttle, which is docked with the space station: “Go outside around 6 p.m. to give yourself a few minutes to adjust to the dark.

“At 6:12 p.m., the space station and shuttle Endeavour will appear over the southwest horizon, just to the right of Venus and Jupiter (the two bright planets low in the southwest). They will appear as a very bright star moving slowly through the sky, passing from southwest to northeast.

“At 6:15:34 p.m., they will be very nearly straight overhead. At 6:16:29 p.m., they will disappear into the shadow of the Earth about halfway up in the northeast sky. As the space station and Endeavour pass overhead, they will be at a distance of 212 miles.“

The next opportunity to see the spacecraft will be Saturday evening, when they will appear over the southwest horizon at 5:29 p.m.

The shuttle and the space station will be highest in the sky, about 79 degrees above the northwest horizon, at 5:32:12 p.m., and will disappear low in the northeast sky at 5:35 p.m.

“Both passes should be spectacular,“ Murphy said in an astronomy newsletter. “With the last few shuttle missions bringing large modules to the International Space Station, it has grown substantially brighter. It will be, by far, brighter than any star or planet as it passes overhead.“

Predictions for future passes and get maps of the pass at http://www.heavens-above.com.

The shuttle launched Friday and docked with the space station Saturday evening.