Re: [Phys-L] [EXT] space station visibility

["s.goelzer@comcast.net" <s.goelzer@comcast.net>]

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> On Oct 21, 2025, at 11:01 AM, John Mallinckrodt via Phys-l <phys-l@mail.phys-l.org> wrote:
>
> I love stuff like this. The ISS provides so much great fodder for growing one’s understanding of orbital mechanics and 3-d visualization skills.
>
> In a related vein, here are the slides from one of my weekly “Bites of Physics” on the Clubhouse app.
>
> https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1mVJ_AI0jnwbyXVoQQvzA3fdqiohXk5_Fr6_ZOh5TLpc<https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1mVJ_AI0jnwbyXVoQQvzA3fdqiohXk5_Fr6_ZOh5TLpc/edit?usp=drivesdk> <https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1mVJ_AI0jnwbyXVoQQvzA3fdqiohXk5_Fr6_ZOh5TLpc%3Chttps://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1mVJ_AI0jnwbyXVoQQvzA3fdqiohXk5_Fr6_ZOh5TLpc/edit?usp=drivesdk%3E>
>
> On Oct 21, 2025, at 7:17 AM, John Denker via Phys-l <phys-l@mail.phys-l.org <mailto:phys-l@mail.phys-l.org>> wrote:
>
> CAUTION: External Email, see notice below
>
>
>
> Here's a riddle your students might find amusing.
>
> Below is a table predicting all the occasions when the space station
> will make a visible pass over Seattle in the next ten days. Notice that
> all of them are in the morning ... whereas none are in the evening. Why
> is that?
>
> The space station flies over the morning terminator *and* the evening
> terminator once per orbit, so you might think that there would be an
> equal number of morning passes and evening passes, but that's not what
> the table predicts. Why not?
>
> No skills are required beyond middle-school science.
>
> When you find the right answer you will have no doubt as to its
> correctness. It will allow you to make a few additional predictions that
> you can easily verify.
>
> Date ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Visual ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Peak ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Peak
> ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Magnitude Time ​ ​ ​ ​ ​
> Elevation ​ ​ Azimuth
> 21-Oct-2025 ​ -1.7 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 5:06:05 ​ 27° ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​
> ​ ​ ​ E
> 21-Oct-2025 ​ -3.4 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 6:41:30 ​ 52° ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​
> ​ ​ ​ NNW
> 22-Oct-2025 ​ -3.8 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 5:53:41 ​ 65° ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​
> ​ ​ ​ NNW
> 23-Oct-2025 ​ -1.6 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 5:07:36 ​ 27° ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​
> ​ ​ ​ ENE
> 23-Oct-2025 ​ -3 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 6:42:56 ​ 40° ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​
> ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ N
> 24-Oct-2025 ​ -3.2 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 5:55:00 ​ 44° ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​
> ​ ​ ​ N
> 25-Oct-2025 ​ -1.4 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 5:08:52 ​ 24° ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​
> ​ ​ ​ NE
> 25-Oct-2025 ​ -2.9 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 6:44:15 ​ 41° ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​
> ​ ​ ​ N
> 26-Oct-2025 ​ -3 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 5:56:15 ​ 39° ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​
> ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ N
> 27-Oct-2025 ​ -1.3 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 5:09:57 ​ 22° ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​
> ​ ​ ​ NE
> 27-Oct-2025 ​ -3.3 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 6:45:23 ​ 55° ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​
> ​ ​ ​ NNE
> 28-Oct-2025 ​ -3.1 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 5:57:23 ​ 46° ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​
> ​ ​ ​ N
> 29-Oct-2025 ​ -1.3 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 5:10:59 ​ 23° ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​
> ​ ​ ​ ENE
> 29-Oct-2025 ​ -3.8 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 6:46:18 ​ 86° ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​
> ​ ​ ​ SSW
> 30-Oct-2025 ​ -3.7 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 5:58:17 ​ 69° ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​
> ​ ​ ​ NNE
>
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