Saturday night was lovely…warm and clear. Lately I’ve had a need for a bit of peace and calm. Bob and I were watching Brian Cox’s Wonders of the Universe series “Cosmos Made Conscious.” Bob has alerts set up on his phone for the International Space Station; we paused the show to go outside. We walked down the street to the school, climbed up on some playground equipment, and waited to watch the International Space Station go overhead. This is the second time we’ve gone this summer, and I have to say, it really is spectacular. There is just something about watching the darkening sky for that small bit of light traveling quite fast.
Here is information about the crew that is on the space station right now. They will return to the planet in September.
Taking a picture of the ISS without a tripod and/or a better camera is a bit of a challenge. This is what I got, which was not as impressive as actually watching it fly overhead.
Don’t know how much longer the summer is going to last…Labor Day is only a week away. I wish, in so many ways, that this summer would go on forever.
Are you interested in seeing the station? Visit this website to find out when and where to look: http://spotthestation.nasa.gov/
August 27, 2013
We have enjoyed the warmth and calm of many summer evenings this year. Watching the space station is such a peaceful activity. Brightly lit like a star the station moves silently across the sky. Observing the space station always gives me inspiration and optimism about a better tomorrow. Man is dichotomy capable of remarkable, awe inspiring feats that create hope and benefit for all, while also capable of illogical acts of wastefulness and cruelty producing misery and despair. The space station represents the best of humanity, a multi-cultural research laboratory established to foster cooperation and benefits for the entire world. How many things do we all observe during a day that exhibit the worst of humanity? No wonder peace is found in watching the space station
August 27, 2013
BG, you are so right. The space station does represent the best of humanity. We need to try, as a society, to spend more time and energy doing things that help us to understand the universe and our place in it.