By: Carlos
This was a happy coincidence for this year’s solstice, but does not necessarily happen on each and every solstices. This time the period of continuous sunshine was from 6 Jun 2012 00:35 to 10 Jun 2012...
View ArticleBy: Jake
I’m sure this is out there, but you probably know the answer quicker. Is the orbital alignment consistant? Is the south end of the orbit always facing the sun, and the north end away? Or does the orbit...
View ArticleBy: Pete Jackson
Watching the slow approach and departure of the Sun from the Earth’s limb gave me an idea. Would the ISS not be a good platform to observe for small bodies orbiting the Sun within the orbit of Mercury,...
View ArticleBy: Phil Plait
Good point, Carlos (#1) – I didn’t know the orbital plane precessed that much!
View ArticleBy: Jonathan Lubin
I like how you at times can see Crescent Earth beneath you — terminator is visibly curved.
View ArticleBy: Grizzly
Okay, another stupid question here. But given the orbital mechanics, if a period of constant daylight is possible, the opposite must also occur. Are there extended periods of “night” and how often do...
View ArticleBy: Carlos
@Grizzly (#6) – No there is no period of constant night. The satellite is always going around the earth, and sooner or later it must come back “in front” of the earth on the sunlit side. Imagine the...
View ArticleBy: Nathan
Back when I started following the Shuttle I would frequently hear about how certain time periods were blacked out for launch window “due to high beta angle.” This situation where the orbital plane of...
View ArticleBy: MadScientist
That provides such a beautiful example of Rayleigh scattering as well.
View ArticleBy: realta fuar
Thanks Carlos! As usual, some of the B.A.’s readers know more about a subject than the B.A. Aren’t “educational” blogs generally supposed to work in the other direction? . This is presumably good for...
View ArticleBy: astronomy round-up: 27 July 2012 | Jennifer Willis
[...] Space Station Solstice [...]
View ArticleBy: Jake
I’m sure this is out there, but you probably know the answer quicker. Is the orbital alignment consistant? Is the south end of the orbit always facing the sun, and the north end away? Or does the orbit...
View ArticleBy: Pete Jackson
Watching the slow approach and departure of the Sun from the Earth’s limb gave me an idea. Would the ISS not be a good platform to observe for small bodies orbiting the Sun within the orbit of Mercury,...
View ArticleBy: Phil Plait
Good point, Carlos (#1) – I didn’t know the orbital plane precessed that much!
View ArticleBy: Jonathan Lubin
I like how you at times can see Crescent Earth beneath you — terminator is visibly curved.
View ArticleBy: Grizzly
Okay, another stupid question here. But given the orbital mechanics, if a period of constant daylight is possible, the opposite must also occur. Are there extended periods of “night” and how often do...
View ArticleBy: Carlos
@Grizzly (#6) – No there is no period of constant night. The satellite is always going around the earth, and sooner or later it must come back “in front” of the earth on the sunlit side. Imagine the...
View ArticleBy: Nathan
Back when I started following the Shuttle I would frequently hear about how certain time periods were blacked out for launch window “due to high beta angle.” This situation where the orbital plane of...
View ArticleBy: MadScientist
That provides such a beautiful example of Rayleigh scattering as well.
View ArticleBy: realta fuar
Thanks Carlos! As usual, some of the B.A.’s readers know more about a subject than the B.A. Aren’t “educational” blogs generally supposed to work in the other direction? . This is presumably good for...
View Article
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