Posted: 05:00pm Sun 14 Feb, 2021
International space station flying over tonight
The International Space Station will be passing directly over Tauranga tonight from 9.21pm. Image: Supplied.
For those who may love to end their Valentine's Day stargazing, they may find they're in for an extra treat this evening if the clouds disperse.
The International Space Station - ISS - will be visible throughout New Zealand tonight, weather permitting, as it passes down above the east coast of the upper North Island.
"ISS will rise in the north west from 9.21pm and will pass across the sky as it heads southeast," says Tauranga Astronomy Society president David Greig.
"As seen from Northland, Auckland, Tauranga, Whakatane, Opotiki and Gisborne, ISS will reach a maximum elevation angle of approximately 85 degrees. This will be a particularly good pass for these locations."
David thinks the clouds over New Zealand this evening may stop any chance of seeing ISS but remains hopeful.
The data and charts shown here are from the Heavens-Above website. The sky chart is as seen from Tauranga.
David says the International Space Station will disappear over the South Eastern horizon at 9.29pm.
"For observers further South, ISS will be seen passing across your north eastern sky from northwest to southeast," says David. "You might want to set a reminder alarm on your phone."
For those wanting to dazzle their Valentine with some facts and figures, the International Space Station orbits the Earth once every 92 minutes, travelling at 27,600 km per hour. ISS is approx 400 km above the Earth. There are currently seven crew members aboard the space station.
The Tauranga Astronomical Society meets regularly at the Tauranga Observatory at Matua. More information about their meetings can be found on their Facebook page or website http://tas.org.nz
1 comment
ISS
Posted on 14-02-2021 18:49 | By dumbkof2
Don't forget to wave to them as they go over
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