Garland TX USA - Bowmanville ON CAN -- Site 1
N 32° 54.312 W 096° 36.750
14S E 723294 N 3643305
On 23 May 2017 the Benchmark Blasterz and TriciaG exchanged information and tried to see the ISS in one pass between Garland TX and Bowmanville, Ontario.
Waymark Code: WMVRFA
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 05/23/2017
Views: 5
It was touch and go there for a while about whether we were going to be able to create this waymark or not. With multiple rounds of heavy rain and severe weather in Dallas over the last few days, and with a forecast for rain and clouds at ISS time (clearing after midnight), the chances to see the ISS were not looking good. As late as 2030 it was completely overcast with thick clouds.
BUT -- this is Texas, and if you don't like the weather, wait a minute. :)
Around an hour before the pass, we noted the thick clouds at the lower levels had thinned considerably. By 30 minutes before the pass, the skies had cleared almost completely out, with only a few high thin clouds drifting along the southern horizon.
At 21:51:00 the ISS appeared from the SSW, heading NNE. It passed directly overhead at 21:54:10, at an altitude of 89 degrees and magnitude of -3.9.
We could see the sun reflecting off the extended solar panels powering the ISS as it went over. The ISS changed from a large fast-moving dot to an X-shape as the panels caught the sun. this was one of the best passes we have seen lately.
Unfortunately, TriciaG was clouded out in Ontario. :(
Thanks Gary for putting this together for us. Tricia and I will try again on Friday night.
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