Jan 15 2007
What do manmade satellites look like through binoculars or a telescope?
Dan C asked:
I have been using the heavens above site to see when the Hubble, the Space Shuttle and the International Space Station will be visible from my location. Unfortunatly we have had a couple of days of clouds.
I have 15×70 and 7×35 binoculars and a 5.1″ Meade telescope. How much magnification do I need before these satellites show some shape?
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I have been using the heavens above site to see when the Hubble, the Space Shuttle and the International Space Station will be visible from my location. Unfortunatly we have had a couple of days of clouds.
I have 15×70 and 7×35 binoculars and a 5.1″ Meade telescope. How much magnification do I need before these satellites show some shape?
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5 responses so far
Even at maximum magnification, satellites will be point-like (look like stars) with your binoculars and telescope.
That being said, it’s not impossible to image large satellites such as the Space Station from the ground. If the satellite is 200 kilometers away (pretty darn close), 1 second of arc is a resolution of 1 meter. That’s enough to show some shape. One second of arc is about the best you can do with a moderately-big telescope and good seeing conditions.
They are low enough in orbit that the best time is in the first couple of hours after sun down. Just set in a chair facing west and u don’t need anything but your eyes. It will be moving west to east and will be visible about 15 to 20 min.
there is doubt that u will be able to discern shape .
good luck
specks reflection of ligth like a mirror.
The International Space Station is probably the brightest of them. Theoretically the shape should be discernible to a modest amateur telescope, but in reality it travels too quickly across the sky for a telescope to track and see any detail. The shape can be best seen when transiting the Moon or Sun (use filters!), but it will be very brief though and probably a disappointment.
This link tells you good sighting opportunities – and shows a picture of the ISS against the Sun taken from earth:=&ISS=
a binocular