Garland TX USA - Bowmanville ON CAN (2nd attempt) -- Site 1
N 32° 54.310 W 096° 36.753
14S E 723290 N 3643301
On 26 May 2017 the Benchmark Blasterz and TriciaG again exchanged information and tried to see the ISS in one pass between Garland TX and Bowmanville, Ontario after the first attempt was clouded out in Ontario.
Waymark Code: WMVV3D
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 05/27/2017
Views: 14
We were concerned that we would be clouded out when we started looking at the sky conditions about an hour before the scheduled ISS pass on 26 May.
The cold front that had come through a few days before had dissipated, and we were back in the tropical Gulf air mass, with puffy low midlevel cumulo-stratus clouds and windy conditions. Fortunately the clouds were patchy: 60% total coverage by thick passing clouds, with about 20% clear skies and 20% thin high clouds directly overhead where the ISS would be. The forecast was for clearing, and sure enough: those thinner clouds were dissipating! We had hope! :)
By 15 minutes before the pass, the thick clouds at the lower levels had thinned considerably overhead, but the horizon was obscured. We estimated about 20% thick clouds above the horizon and another 20% patchy thin high clouds you could see through when it was time to start looking for the ISS.
It REALLY is true that if you don't like the weather in Texas, wait a minute!!
At 20:51:15 the ISS should have appeared from the SSW heading NNE, but it was in clouds, so we didn't see it. As it moved along its orbit, it exited the thick cumulostratus clouds and moved into thinner high clouds. We finally spotted it almost overhead, and were able to watch it for about 1-2 minutes.
The ISS passed overhead from 20:51:15 to 20:57:46 at an altitude of 66 degrees and magnitude of -2.4, which brightness and total time was reduced for us because of high cloud interference.
The ISS pass over Dallas happened about 30 minutes after sunset in Dallas. With the brighter skies (despite the clouds) we were able to take a noisy picture of it :) We were not able to see the panels as we had a few days before, and the brightness was reduced due to thin high clouds, but we absolutely saw the ISS as it tracked across the sky to the NNE.
Unfortunately, TriciaG was clouded out in Ontario AGAIN! . :(
We will have to keep trying. Maybe the third time will be the charm!! .
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