Mir Transit over Champaign area

http://www.wolfram.com/applications/astronomer/index.html

Terry Robb. <terryr@wolfram.com>

setup

<<Astronomer`HomeSite`

SetLocation[GeoLatitude->40.1 Degree,
            GeoLongitude->-88.2 Degree,
            GeoAltitude->0.0 KiloMeter,
            TimeZone->-6]

SetOrbitalElements[Mir,
  "1 16609U 86017A   95325.85577639  .00003192  00000-0  48163-4 0  3342",
  "2 16609  51.6428  87.9460 0002890 351.9237   8.1708 15.58105755557534"];

<<Astronomer`Star3000`

Champaign Transit at 5:53pm, 1995 December 18

The Mir Space Station should be easily visible with the naked eye as it passes over the Champaign area between 5:50pm and 5:55pm on 1995 December 18.

You should be able to pick it up in the south-west sky at about 5:51pm, that is about 90 minutes after sunset. It will then move rapidly right overhead and disappear suddenly about 45 degrees up in the north-east sky when it moves into the shadow of the Earth.

At its highest point in the sky, Mir should appear very bright and be brighter than the star Vega in the west.

Precise times maybe 30 seconds or so off, because Mir may make some course adjustments in next few weeks.

Also if you are more than say 50 miles away from Champaign (Latitude: 40.1 degrees, Longitude: -88.2 degrees) then the track of Mir across the sky will be slightly shifted. For example, there will be a slight difference for Chicago (Latitude: 41.8 degrees, Longitude: -87.8 degrees).

Mir Visibility

BestView[Mir,{1995,12,17}]

EclipseBegin[Mir,{1995,12,18,17,40,0}]

SunSet[{1995,12,18}]

FullMoon[{1995,12,18}]

Track Path of Mir

In the following marks are labeled along the orbit at one minute intervals using the OrbitMark function.

CompassStarChart[South,
     {1995,12,18,17,53,0},
 Mesh           -> False,
 MagnitudeRange -> 4.0,
 Ecliptic       -> False,
 StarLabels     -> True,
 OrbitTrack     -> Mir];1;

Similar marks are labeled in the following. The point where Mir will disappear into the Earth's shadow is also indicated with an X where the track stops.

CompassStarChart[North,
      {1995,12,18,17,53,0},
  StarColors     -> True,
  MilkyWay       -> True,
  MagnitudeRange -> 4.0,
  Ecliptic       -> False,
  StarLabels     -> True,
  OrbitTrack     -> Mir];1;

Orbit Track of Mir

OrbitTrackPlot[Mir,
               {1995,12,18,17,53-10,0},
               {1995,12,18,17,53+10,0},
               LocationRing->True,
               Shading->True];1;

OrbitTrackPlot[Mir,
               {1995,12,18,17,53-20,0},
               {1995,12,18,17,53+10,0},
               LocationRing->True,
               Shading->True,
               PlotRange->{{-150,-40},
                          {-30,80}}];1;

Global View of Mir Flyover

ZenithStarChart[{1995,12,18,17,53,0},
                Mesh           -> True,
                StarColors     -> True,
                StarLabels     -> True,
                MagnitudeRange -> 4.0,
                RotateLabel    -> False,
                OrbitTrack     -> Mir];1;