Real time satellite tracking, Urion constellation, Skipping late November issue

[Nostromics Newsletter]

Nostromics Newsletter

Nostromics science gifts product news, educational resources & science tidbits

Nostromics Newsletter, 17 November 2010 - You are welcome to share this mail

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Real time satellite tracking

The N2YO.COM site is an online tool for live, real time tracking of artificial satellites. It displays the current position of a satellite on an Earth map, updated in real time as the object moves.

When you visit N2YO.COM, it defaults to displaying the position of the International Space Station (ISS), more specifically its Russian-built Zarya module. A satellite icon with a downward pointing red arrow shows the current location and ground track. Real time data about position and movement is shown next to the map.

Click the links at the top of the page to select satellites based on their category (e.g. JUST LAUNCHED, WEATHER, TV SATELLITES, etc). Clicking a satellite name brings basic information, and "Track it now!" at the top starts live tracking on the map.

In case you are wondering where the site name comes from, N2YO is its author's ham radio call sign.

The constellation Urion

NASA photo AS07-03-1513, taken by the crew of the Apollo 7 spacecraft in October 1968, shows bright dots on a dark background. It is not a star field seen from space, but an example of astronaut humor.

The photo probably shows urine ice crystal lit by the Sun outside the spacecraft. Urine and waste water was dumped overboard during Apollo missions. It is still dumped in Space Shuttle missions, and urine freezes creating ice crystals that sublimate when hit by sunlight. The dumped urine plume can even be seen from Earth. Apollo 7 commander Wally Schirra, in a previous mission, jokingly called this unusual sight the constellation Urion, a pun on "urine" and "Orion", the most prominent winter constellation.

Our Orion Mouse Pad, and many other Orion gifts in the Equatorial region Constellations section of Nostromics Store, shows the actual constellation Orion. More science gifts and products at Nostromics Store.

Skipping the late November issue of Nostromics Newsletter

We will be skipping the late November 2010 issue of Nostromics Newsletter, and resume the usual weekly schedule at the beginning of December. We will take some time off for exciting activities. Paolo Amoroso of Nostromics, for example, will attend AstronautiCON 5, the space convention that will take place in November 20 and 21 in Lecco, Italy. He will also meet his friend ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, who will be the AstronautiCON 5 guest of honor.

See you in December!

-- Paolo Amoroso & Mauro Arpino (Nostromics), science educators - Milan, Italy