The International Space Station is not moving.WHY?

Thu Jul 16, 2009 10:47 pm » by **Lordblake7**

The International Space Station travels in orbit around Earth at a speed of 17,500 miles per hour (that's about 5 miles per second!). This means that the Space Station orbits Earth (and sees a sunrise) once every 92 minutes!

I been looking at the space station through my telescope for a while now.At the moment the space station is rising just befor the moon does.Through out the night the space station is the same distance away from the moon.Its taking most of the night to cross the sky.How can this be,when its ment to be traveling at 17,500 miles per hour?
The International Space Station is moving like the stars.
Its a bit wierd to me.
Any info on this would be much appreciated.
Thanks

Thu Jul 16, 2009 10:51 pm » by **Lowsix**

Decent chance that you are instead looking at one of the larger Geosat satellites that are instead place in a GeoSychronous orbit around the earth, meaning it sorbit is either exactly the same rotation speed as the earth or slightly faster or slower depending on whether or not it is a spy satellite, doing passes on imagry on the ground, in which case an exactly synchronous orbit would not allow it to make passes..it would be fixed in one spot.

Just a guess, because they cant slow down the Space Station or it would lose orbit. Thats the main case for it not being the Space Station.

Thu Jul 16, 2009 11:04 pm » by **Lordblake7**

Thanks for that lowsix.
You might be right,But i aways thought the space station was very bright,and it is the most brightest out there,its twice the size of the north star.
Wouldnt a satellite be much smaller and a lot less brighter than the space station?

Thu Jul 16, 2009 11:13 pm » by **Rizze**

I am not sure if you are aware of this site.

http://www.heavens-above.com/

It gives you accurate times and predictions of flight paths.
Hope it's useful to you.

Thu Jul 16, 2009 11:19 pm » by **Rawdney**

You can also download Stellarium here:

http://www.stellarium.org/

It is free planetarium software, so that you can find out what you are looking at in real time depending on your location on the planet. You can even go back in time, so you can figure out what it was that you were watching...

Thu Jul 16, 2009 11:30 pm » by **Lordblake7**

Thanks people thats very helpfull.
The flight path looks just right.I need to have a good look at these sites and do the download.
Thanks again.

Thu Jul 16, 2009 11:35 pm » by **Rizze**

Happy hunting and please let us know, of anything you see as unusual.

Hope you got a cam fixed to your telescope.

Fri Jul 17, 2009 2:47 am » by **end0fall**

why is it stellarium never bloody works for me gggrrr,i got celestia instead...at least it starts

Fri Jul 17, 2009 4:05 am » by **Rawdney**

end0fall wrote:why is it stellarium never bloody works for me gggrrr,i got celestia instead...at least it starts

Hmm.. Not sure. I have ran it on at least 4 different systems with no problem. I have also used celestia. They are quite a bit different.

Fri Jul 17, 2009 5:51 pm » by **Lordblake7**

Ok thanks again for your replys people.
But still i carnt work out whats going on.Every night its there,its very bright,it is folowing the right flight path,but it takes hours to cross the sky.
Everything iv seen and read says to me without a doult it is the space station.
BUT ITS NOT TRAVILING AT 17,500 MPH.
IM GETTING CONFUSED!!!!
Iv just orderd a cam to go on me telescope,and then i will show you all what im looking at and how its moving.
Every one who lives in my area all say they are looking at the space station.IM NOT SURE NOW!!!