some one's tool bag

After a foodie week it was time to get a glimpse of the sky. I thought about watching satellites this time, well not satellite TV, the real satellite that orbits our planet. Yes one can get a glimpse of it if watched at the right time. The Heavens-above website has this neat feature where you can find out when an object passes at your location. Objects like ISS, International Space Station are very popular beside other normal communication satellites. The glare of sun reflection on the object is what makes it look like a star. The funny one I came across is the tool bag that got lost by astronaut Stefanyshyn-Piper this 18th November while she was spacewalking during maintenance of the ISS. It was weighing about 1400 pound. Since then the tool bag is orbiting the earth among other space junk. The next bypass for me here will be on the 15th December at 06:21 in the morning but that will be impossible to watch as the sun would already be risen beside it's my time for breakfast. The perfect timing would be no more than 90 minutes before sun rise or not more than 90 after sun set. With this object the calculation indicates that it will require a least a binoculars to see it. So next time you see an object just before sunrise or sun set it does not necessary mean you have spotted a star or a planet, it could be some ones handbag who just been clumsy enough to drop it while doing his/her spacewalking.

Happy star gazing