Shuttle + ISS pass near Comet Wednesday morning

I am not much of a morning person, but tomorrow morning - that's Wednesday the 7th there is a shuttle +ISS pass over the Pasadena area. The two spacecraft will be visible in the same part of the sky as the bright comet 17P/Holmes in Perseus. That should make a very pretty picture. (if it is foggy, well, then I am sure someone will have a very pretty picture of this lineup) A friend here at work drove up CA Route 2, just a couple miles up got him above the fog this morning, where he snapped a photo of the shuttle and International Space Station. Then he emailed it to one of the astronauts aboard the shuttle today. Here is the chart http://www.heavens-above.com/PassDetails.asp?Session=kebgcaianecpbahhnoafgb… Here are the details: Look to the North East at 5:00 a.m. (not P. M.) - this allows a few minutes to get oriented. It's a short pass just 3 minutes from 5:07 to 5:10 a.m. The two spacecraft travel from NW to NNE 33 degrees above the horizon. Then you should take a look at the planetary lineup. Strung along the ecliptic will be (starting from the Eastern horizon: Mercury, the moon, Venus, Saturn and Mars (almost overhead). Now that's what I call a lineup! Date: Wednesday, 07 November, 2007 Observer's Location: Pasadena ( 34.1480°N, 118.1440°W) Local Time: Pacific Standard Time (GMT - 8:00) Leaves shadow 05:07:38 33 degrees above horizon Maximum altitude 05:07:44 33 degrees above horizon Drops below 10° altitude 05:10:24 Sets 05:12:30 There is another pass at 5:30 a.m. on the 8th, but it only is 12 degrees above the horizon. http://www.heavens-above.com/PassSummary.aspx?satid=25544&Session=kebgc… Jane -- Jane Houston Jones Senior Outreach Specialist, Cassini Program JPL - 4800 Oak Grove Drive, MS 230-205 Pasadena, CA 91109 818-393-6435 jane.h.jones(a)jpl.nasa.gov Cassini SOC http://soc.jpl.nasa.gov/index.cfm What's Up? http://education.jpl.nasa.gov/amateurastronomy/index.html