Starlink
 

Anyone trying to follow their path? a useful link to help
https://james.darpinian.com/satellites/

I've been trying hard to avoid them,this may help thanks.

I used to go watch the shuttle go over. And I still on occasion go watch the International Space Station go over.

It was really bright when the shuttle was docked at the ISS.

I signed up for a service through NASA to get a text when the ISS is visible in the night sky over my area. We've been able to observe it pass over other than 1 rather cloudy night.

About 10 years ago, there used to be an augmented reality app - think it was called "Space Junk". You'd point your phone at the sky, and it'd use your inclinometer/compass/GPS to show/identify known & tracked debris and satellites etc in view.

I saw them about a month ago, I guess I don’t get why they are not geosynchronous? I saw 8 in a row, really moving, and this was in a city at night. Normally I never see satellites unless I am out in the mountains

Geosynchronous orbit is about 23,000 miles. Low earth orbit is 200-300 (ISS / shuttle program range). It’s a lot easier (and cheaper) to get something to LEO for one thing. For another the extra distance can be a factor in communications range depending on frequencies used, etc. Sometimes LEO makes a lot more sense. I think the iridium constellation put their satellites in very low orbits (like 200 miles) otherwise there’s no way that earth-based handheld transmitters (sat phones) would ever reach them. Of course this meant they were whizzing by quickly and it took a lot more of them to ensure continuous coverage - hence the “constellation” model.

Well, we tried to observe the 15 Starlinks flying over metro ATL tonight based on that web sight. Visibility was pretty good - but we've got a half-full moon and also live about 30 miles outside of downtown, so we can normally only see to brighter stars. Didn't see them, but saw 2 other satellites go bye in the 15-20 minutes we were watching.

Tonight should be a good show with 22 flying by at 9:02

The Heavens Above app works well for tracking that stuff.

Still haven't been able to see any Starlinks - even though they have passed overhead quite a few times. I guess they are too dim for the ambient light in metro Atl.

Did have something pretty neat happen the other night though. Wife and I sometimes watch for satellites and the ISS while sitting in the hot tub. Saturday night I knew the schedule for the ISS, and we saw it rather easily cross over the back yard field. Fairly quickly, I realized there was another object in the sky just in front of the ISS - tracking in the exact same direction. I had an inkling what it might be - so came inside and did a search on the Dragon and the return trip. Come to find out I was correct. A few hrs earlier, the Dragon separated from the ISS and did 4 engine burns to drop away and in front of the ISS for the return trip. So not only did we see the ISS, but also the Dragon on it's first return trip!

Interesting. I've viewed tons of various satellites, ISS, random space junk, etc....

I haven't looked for any of the starlink sats though. I guess I may give that a shot.

Back when I had my 8" telescope, I watched the ISS pass with the telescope with a low power eye piece. It was cool, I was able to see the structure of the thing instead of just a dot.

Have seen them at my place in NW WI several times, once just after a launch when they were pretty tightly bunched, moving SSW to NNE. Tipped my local pals and they have been watching since.

The scientific community is not a fan of the Starlink program. Interfering with celestial observations and posing a real danger for space junk when other objects start “bumping” into them. It will create a domino effect, putting other useful launches in jeopardy.

So like Flatbutt, I am trying to avoid them.

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