macpuzlBy Chuck McPartlin
The International Space Station will visit Santa Barbara’s evening skies, weather permitting, in the week leading up to Valentine’s Day. To get the most recent predictions, visit Heavens Above.
On Thursday, Feb 8, the ISS will make a brief low pass over our mountains, appearing up at 7:11 PM in the NNW, and disappearing ai 7:12 PM in the N.
On Friday, we’ll get two passes. The first will rise at 6:19 PM in the N, pass below the Little Dipper and through the rising bowl of the Big Dipper in the NE before fading away at 6:22 PM. It will be visible briefly on its next orbit, popping up in the NW at 7:54 PM only to vanish in the Earth’s shadow at 7:55 PM.
On Saturday, Feb 10, the station will make a bright pass starting at 7:02 PM in the NW, passing the stars Deneb and Polaris before disappearing at 7:05 PM in the NNE. Watch it at the free Monthly Public Star Party at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History.
Sunday will have two ISS passes. At 6:10 PM it will rise in the NNW, pass through the bowl of the Little Dipper in the N, over the bowl of the Big Dipper in the NE, and vanish at 6:16 PM in the E. It will reappear at 7:47 PM in the WNW and pass through the setting Great Square of Pegasus before fading into shadow at 7:48 PM in the W.
Monday’s pass will be bright, starting at 6:54 PM in the NW, passing along Andromeda, next to the star Hamal in Aries, past Rigel, one of Orion’s feet, and fading away in the SSE near Sirius, the brightest star in the sky, at 6:59 PM. Sirius is the closest star to our Sun that you can easily see from Santa Barbara, just a bit less than 9 light years away.
On Tuesday, Feb 13, we’ll get the brightest pass of this sequence, with the ISS rising in the NW at 6:02 PM, cruising through Cepheus and Gemini, and disappearing near Procyon in the ESE at 6:08 PM.
The last appearance will be on Valentine’s Day, showing up in the WNW at 6:47 PM and passing over our ocean sunset horizon to set in the S at 6:52 PM. Wave your bouquet of roses or box of chocolates!
Hasta nebula – Chuck
