The string of Starlink satellites launched on Saturday the 15th will pass over tonight beginning at 9:21, starting from the west, crossing the northern sky about 30 degrees above the horizon, ending in the east.
It will repeat at 11:02 pm, this time traveling from the northwest, highest again about 30 degrees in the north, setting in the east-northeast.
Third pass is highest, starting at 12:42 am in the northwest, getting as high as 64 degrees in the north-northeast and fading into the Earth's shadow just after passing zenith.
The ISS will also pass over at 9:14 pm going from the southwest towards the northeast, peaking at 58 degrees in the SSE. It reappears at 10:52 PM, this time going west to roughly east, peaking at only 35 degrees in the northern part of the sky.
Starlink satellite train tonight 5/17/21 9:21 pm
- SEmert
- Posts: 1794
- Joined: Mon May 31, 2004 2:48 pm
- Real Name: Steve Emert
- Location: White Bear Lake, MN
Starlink satellite train tonight 5/17/21 9:21 pm
Steve Emert
MAS Membership Coordinator
12.5" f/4.7 Obsession Clone Homemade Truss Dob, sometimes equipped with Celestron StarSense Explorer app
Celestron C8 SCT OTA on AVX GEQ mount
Astro-Tech AT72 ED Refractor OTA usually on Explore Scientific Twilight 1mount or tripod with Benro geared head
Celestron 5" SCT OTA on Synta AZ-4 or Explore Scientific Twilight 1 Alt-Az Mount, usually equipped with StarSense Explorer app
Orion 150mm Mak OTA and Orion EQ-G computerized mount
MAS Membership Coordinator
12.5" f/4.7 Obsession Clone Homemade Truss Dob, sometimes equipped with Celestron StarSense Explorer app
Celestron C8 SCT OTA on AVX GEQ mount
Astro-Tech AT72 ED Refractor OTA usually on Explore Scientific Twilight 1mount or tripod with Benro geared head
Celestron 5" SCT OTA on Synta AZ-4 or Explore Scientific Twilight 1 Alt-Az Mount, usually equipped with StarSense Explorer app
Orion 150mm Mak OTA and Orion EQ-G computerized mount
Re: Starlink satellite train tonight 5/17/21 9:21 pm
Thank you, Steve, I'll check it out!
Matt Dunham
MAS Treasurer & member since 2018
Meade LX200RC 12-inch (my portable observatory)
Celestron SC-8" w/fork wedge (my travel scope)
MAS Treasurer & member since 2018
Meade LX200RC 12-inch (my portable observatory)
Celestron SC-8" w/fork wedge (my travel scope)
- SEmert
- Posts: 1794
- Joined: Mon May 31, 2004 2:48 pm
- Real Name: Steve Emert
- Location: White Bear Lake, MN
Re: Starlink satellite train tonight 5/17/21 9:21 pm
Darn. I don't know how it looked for anyone else, but it was a bust for me. I was at CGO for the 9:21 pass but the sky was too bright. Since the Moon was pretty bright I decided to head toward home, and tried getting off the freeway in the suburbs to get the 11:02 pass, but missed the time by a bit and there were a LOT of street lights in the area where I pulled off.
At least I saw the ISS during its 9:14 pass. I also had a handheld ham radio handy talkie and a homemade Yagi antenna and was able to listen to hams making contacts using the cross-band ham repeater radio on the ISS. I could hear them all the way as it passed from the western horizon to the east.
At least I saw the ISS during its 9:14 pass. I also had a handheld ham radio handy talkie and a homemade Yagi antenna and was able to listen to hams making contacts using the cross-band ham repeater radio on the ISS. I could hear them all the way as it passed from the western horizon to the east.
Steve Emert
MAS Membership Coordinator
12.5" f/4.7 Obsession Clone Homemade Truss Dob, sometimes equipped with Celestron StarSense Explorer app
Celestron C8 SCT OTA on AVX GEQ mount
Astro-Tech AT72 ED Refractor OTA usually on Explore Scientific Twilight 1mount or tripod with Benro geared head
Celestron 5" SCT OTA on Synta AZ-4 or Explore Scientific Twilight 1 Alt-Az Mount, usually equipped with StarSense Explorer app
Orion 150mm Mak OTA and Orion EQ-G computerized mount
MAS Membership Coordinator
12.5" f/4.7 Obsession Clone Homemade Truss Dob, sometimes equipped with Celestron StarSense Explorer app
Celestron C8 SCT OTA on AVX GEQ mount
Astro-Tech AT72 ED Refractor OTA usually on Explore Scientific Twilight 1mount or tripod with Benro geared head
Celestron 5" SCT OTA on Synta AZ-4 or Explore Scientific Twilight 1 Alt-Az Mount, usually equipped with StarSense Explorer app
Orion 150mm Mak OTA and Orion EQ-G computerized mount
Re: Starlink satellite train tonight 5/17/21 9:21 pm
I tried for the Starlink train at 11:02, but didn't see anything. Oh well...
Matt Dunham
MAS Treasurer & member since 2018
Meade LX200RC 12-inch (my portable observatory)
Celestron SC-8" w/fork wedge (my travel scope)
MAS Treasurer & member since 2018
Meade LX200RC 12-inch (my portable observatory)
Celestron SC-8" w/fork wedge (my travel scope)
Re: Starlink satellite train tonight 5/17/21 9:21 pm
I didn't see the 921 pass either. Thinking the sun wasn't down enough
Re: Starlink satellite train tonight 5/17/21 9:21 pm
I caught this Starlink train on Sunday night at 23:02 and caught it on a startrails picture I had setup
From Top to Bottom where the trails start on the west (left) side of the image
Top: 23:41 05/16/2021 ISS Pass
One down from top: 00:43 Unknown but I think this is the Starlink train again
One up from bottom: 23:02 pass of the Starlink train (I saw this one myself, it was interesting... the first half of the train was much dimmer than the second half)
Bottom: 01:18 05/17/2021 ISS pass
From Top to Bottom where the trails start on the west (left) side of the image
Top: 23:41 05/16/2021 ISS Pass
One down from top: 00:43 Unknown but I think this is the Starlink train again
One up from bottom: 23:02 pass of the Starlink train (I saw this one myself, it was interesting... the first half of the train was much dimmer than the second half)
Bottom: 01:18 05/17/2021 ISS pass
- Attachments
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- 210516 ML WMA Sat Trails Shorter.jpg (116.61 KiB) Viewed 1264 times
Don Gazdik
Re: Starlink satellite train tonight 5/17/21 9:21 pm
Steve, what do you use as an information source? I've found https://james.darpinian.com/satellites/ to be pretty reliable. It seems to match up with the god's eye view http://celestrak.com/ (remembering to correct 5 hours for time zone & day light savings differences).
Nice pic, Don!
Nice pic, Don!
Ron Cooper
Minnetonka, MN
ELO Keyholder
Minnetonka, MN
ELO Keyholder
- SEmert
- Posts: 1794
- Joined: Mon May 31, 2004 2:48 pm
- Real Name: Steve Emert
- Location: White Bear Lake, MN
Re: Starlink satellite train tonight 5/17/21 9:21 pm
I was using heavens-above.com I haven't any prior experience in verifying how accurate he is for Starlink, but he'd previously always been spot on for ISS passes and Iridium flares and other satellites.rwcooper wrote: ↑Wed May 19, 2021 9:40 am Steve, what do you use as an information source? I've found https://james.darpinian.com/satellites/ to be pretty reliable. It seems to match up with the god's eye view http://celestrak.com/ (remembering to correct 5 hours for time zone & day light savings differences).
Nice pic, Don!
Steve Emert
MAS Membership Coordinator
12.5" f/4.7 Obsession Clone Homemade Truss Dob, sometimes equipped with Celestron StarSense Explorer app
Celestron C8 SCT OTA on AVX GEQ mount
Astro-Tech AT72 ED Refractor OTA usually on Explore Scientific Twilight 1mount or tripod with Benro geared head
Celestron 5" SCT OTA on Synta AZ-4 or Explore Scientific Twilight 1 Alt-Az Mount, usually equipped with StarSense Explorer app
Orion 150mm Mak OTA and Orion EQ-G computerized mount
MAS Membership Coordinator
12.5" f/4.7 Obsession Clone Homemade Truss Dob, sometimes equipped with Celestron StarSense Explorer app
Celestron C8 SCT OTA on AVX GEQ mount
Astro-Tech AT72 ED Refractor OTA usually on Explore Scientific Twilight 1mount or tripod with Benro geared head
Celestron 5" SCT OTA on Synta AZ-4 or Explore Scientific Twilight 1 Alt-Az Mount, usually equipped with StarSense Explorer app
Orion 150mm Mak OTA and Orion EQ-G computerized mount
-
- Posts: 235
- Joined: Tue Aug 31, 2004 5:01 pm
- Real Name: Mark Petersen
- Location: Maple Grove, MN
Re: Starlink satellite train tonight 5/17/21 9:21 pm
I was out in the back yard in Maple Grove observing this month and happened to look up and see a train of Starlink satellites go by. The peak altitude was about 60 degrees passing near the Little Dipper. I estimate their brightness about 2nd magnitude. I could see 25 satellites in one view all strung together like a string of pearls.
Mark
Mark