Station viewing postscript.

One thing that stuck in my mind about the passes yesterday was the fact that both passes occurred about 9 minutes after the predicted times calculated by the satellite trackers. I happened to run the numbers and got identical results using two programs, one written for Windows; the other, for the PalmPilot, and both sets of results contradict real life. ("I'm shocked, shocked...")

Also, the track of the ISS was somewhat different in real life. ISS was supposed to pass through the "back" of the Big Dipper (the part between the "handle" and the "bottom" of the Dipper); instead, the ISS actually passed through the bottom.

Then it occurred to me that the data I have was for the ISS before the Progress M1-3 cargo vehicle docked earlier in the week. I'm thinking that the change in the overall mass of the station due to the docking might've been enough to change the orbital parameters to cause the error I observed yesterday.

Cheers...

Gettin' right with Brad...

In the FAQ for this lashup, Brad notes:

"The best way to show your support for LiveJournal is to buy a paid account."

After hanging out here for 6 weeks, posting my own ramblings and reading what other ElJays post for the world to see, I figured it was time to show my support in a manner other than merely consuming bandwidth. This, particularly on the heels of the ability to do searches, as well as indicate and search for personal interests.

So I went and bought a paid account. For under three simoleans a month, you can't find a better deal.

Cheers...