Author: /u/RealConfirmologist

I like to catch Dean & Rog once in a while, and I don’t have an FM radio in my house. I listen via Alexa.

For a few days now, maybe longer, when I ask for Houston’s Eagle, there’s a recording saying it’s not available but the station is broadcasting over the air. It says they’re working on it.

Tried on my PC just now, to see if maybe it had to do with iHeartRadio or something… I get the same message.

I have Amazon’s unlimited music service so I’m always able to shuffle some good music, without commercials, but hey, I like to hear Redneck Roy’s latest shenanigans and like the news summaries they provide.

If you know what’s going on with the stream aspect, would appreciate a comment!

If the sky is clear or mostly clear and you don’t have anything else specially planned, take a 5 minute break from watching TV and go outside to witness the I.S.S. zoom by.

If you have never seen it, you really SHOULD. It’s like watching a very bright star crossing the sky. There are 7 humans aboard right now, 4 from the USA, 2 from Russia, one from Japan. Shannon Walker has been up there for 142 days on this mission, so far! Learn more about who’s up there by checking https://www.howmanypeopleareinspacerightnow.com/

Go outside and find a place where you can see the sky, especially the northwest sky and southeast sky. Tonight at 13 minutes before 9, the ISS will appear in the NW sky about 10 degrees above the horizon. It will then cross straight overhead, from NW to SE, disappearing when it reaches about 30 degrees above the southeast horizon of the sky.

It’s going 4.6 miles per second. That’s about 17,150 MPH. Imagine that. The astronauts on the ISS see the sun rise 16 times a day. That seems like it would make it a challange to have a normal sleep cycle, right?

Anyway, get out there tonight if the sky is fairly clear, and call someone you know that lives way across town (but somewhere in the Houston/Galveston area) and have them watch it while you’re on the phone with them. It’s a unique experience to be on the phone with someone 30 miles away, and to have both of you watching the same event!

Visible: 5 min, Max Height: 87°, Appears: 10° above NW, Disappears: 30° above SE

Edit/Update: There are a few good apps for smart phones that make it very easy to see where & when you can watch a flyover of the ISS. ISS Detector works great. The web site https://james.darpinian.com/satellites/ provides a nice interface and simulation of what you’ll see from the Google Street View perspective, which can be helpful to get you properly oriented for an upcoming viewing.

You can set up notifications via SpotTheStation web site.

Got a Westinghouse WGen9500DF Dual Fuel Portable Generator, and bought a used 33.5 lb. forklift-style tank from a buddy.

The hose that came with the generator won’t fit the tank, and research tells me I’d do better with something other than a forklift tank.

I’m out near Willowbrook Mall, northwest of town, and there’s a Rhino cage right around the corner, but those tanks are smaller than I want to use.

Seeking advice from someone with one of these fairly large generators.

Thanks!

If you have never watched the ISS fly over, you’ve been missing an awe-inspiring experience!

Get somewhere with a clear view of the sky, especially toward the northwest. At 6:23 PM, watch the horizon, facing northwest, and you’ll see a what looks like a very bright star appear, climbing rapidly. It’ll cross near the middle of the sky and disappear 6 minutes later, in the southeast sky.

Keep in mind that there are SEVEN humans on that thing. They’re flying around planet earth at 17,130 MPH! Four of the astronauts are from the USA, and one is from HOUSTON.

Another fun thing to do is to get someone on the phone that’s far away, and watch the ISS together. It brings a connection that’s hard to describe.

Edit/Update: By far the coolest thing I’ve seen in comments so far (thanks, /u/mahalob1tches) : Go to this link and be sure to allow it to get your location – you can input your address too – and you’ll be able to see an animation of the ISS with the Google Street View surroundings, so you will know EXACTLY where to look, and when! BAD ASS!!