Spot the New Space Era as ISS & Dragon Streak Across the Sky - This Week Only !

By ken-kremer - May 26, 2012 at 7:48 PM UTC | Space Exploration
IMG_4250a_ISS-Dragon-May-2012_Ken-Kremer.jpg

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This week and this week only you can see the dawn of the new

Commercial Space Era

with your own eyes - it's soaring above your head a mere 400 kilometers (250 miles) away. All you have to do is a quick search, hope for clear skies and traipse outside.

Following the

historic attachment

of the maiden commercial Dragon cargo carrier to the Harmony node on the

International Space Station

(ISS) on May 25, the massive orbiting laboratory will be shining just a little bit brighter and prouder as it steaks overhead across the sky at 17,500 MPH (32140 KPH).

Dragon and ISS are literally trailblazing the pathway to the new Commercial Space Era for all to see.

So, for a limited time only between right now and the scheduled May 31 undocking of the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft from the ISS there will be occasional viewing opportunities to catch the dynamic duo speeding merrily across the night time sky.

And the station crew of 6 astronauts and cosmonauts living aboard just opened the hatch from the ISS and

"Entered the Dragon"

earlier today, May 26 - To make it even more special !

Many folks have never seen an ISS flyover and I can't think of a better time than now to get started. I've held several

ISS Sighting

star parties in different US States and everyone is thrilled and amazed at how bright the ISS shines - In fact it's the brightest object in the night sky other than the Sun and the Moon.

[caption id="attachment_95458" align="aligncenter" width="580" caption="Docked Commercial SpaceX Dragon and International Space Station (ISS) streak across the pre dawn sky at 4:07 AM EDT near Princeton, NJ on May 26, 2012, less than 24 hours after the Dragon was attached to the Harmony node. 25 sec exposure. Credit: Ken Kremer "]

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To determine if there are any favorable sighting opportunities in your area, check out the NASA website on Human Spaceflight Sighting Opportunities -

here

  • for a detailed listing of the precise times, elevations, direction and durations. It's an easy to use viewing guide. Just plug in the particulars of the country in which you live

Another great source is Heaven's Above -

here

[caption id="attachment_95479" align="aligncenter" width="580" caption="ISS streaks over Florida skies at a star party for space enthusiasts around the KSC Quality Inn days prior to SpaceX Falcon 9/Dragon blastoff. Credit: Ken Kremer/www.kenkremer.com"]

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Last night I shot some time lapse astrophotos (above) when the gloomy New Jersey clouds finally cleared using a digital SLR and exposure times of 20 to 30 seconds.

Read my eyewitness account of the spectacular pre-dawn May 19 launch of the Dragon resupply vehicle atop a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida

here

and the docking

here

Now - Go Spot the Dragon and the Station !

and send Ken your blazing Astrophotos to post at Universe Today

Happy Viewing and Clear Skies

Ken Kremer