The International Space Station Just Flew Over My House

By Dennis D. McDonald

I was sitting here working on a business proposal when the announcer on WETA-FM reminded listeners of the pending fly-over by the International Space Station.

At the prescribed time I put down my laptop, picked up my binoculars, and walked out the side door to the street in front of my house. It's a brightly lit street at night with three streetlights nearby. Gradually my eyes adjusted to the little darkness there is here at night and I was barely able to make out the "W" of the constellation Cassiopeia, almost directly overhead. 

I waited a minute or so and the Space Station, a briskly moving point of light, came into view and crossed overhead. I watched it for maybe two minutes, then it disappeared behind a tree. It was the brightest object in the sky, and totally silent (obviously). I went inside and back to work.  

From the NASA web site, here is a picture of the crew who just flew over my house; Expedition 15 Commander Fyodor N. Yurchikhin (center), Flight Engineer Oleg V. Kotov (right) and Flight Engineer Sunita L. Williams:

 

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