Thanks for sharing the photos and your experience Gengh!
For anyone interested, I just received this info on seeing the last orbit of Atlantis from Singapore. I did a cursory search, but couldn't confirm the details. Perhaps someone more in touch with these things could confirm or correct the details:
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On Wednesday, 26 May, 2010 the Shuttle will grace Singapore skies as she flies almost directly over us as she prepares to come back to Earth. This will the last chance to see this Space Shuttle, as this is her final mission before retirement.
If the skies are clear, you can look up with your naked eyes and watch Atlantis soar high overhead. Look just to the right of the sunset, and watch for a faint star-like object moving up into the sky. As it climbs higher, it will brighten (due to less atmosphere in the way) and will appear like a jet, although she will not have any blinking lights or make any sound. It will then pass almost overhead and head towards the opposite horizon, somewhat towards the almost full Moon.
Time Atlantis appears on the horizon: 19 hours, 37 minutes 49 seconds
Time of her highest elevation overhead: 19 hours, 42 minutes 44 seconds
Time she disappears again: 19 hours, 45 minutes 59 seconds
Atlantis will be traveling at 7 Kilometers per second at a altitude of 421 kilometers above Singapore. During the transit overhead the crew will be in preparation for reentry and landing. At around 19:45, while still visible over Singapore, she will begin her de-orbital burn which will cause the shuttle to fall back to Earth.
Atlantis will land in Florida at 20h:48m, about one hour after flying over us!
God Speed and farewell to an amazing 25 years of Service!
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At over 400km, there's little hope for a photograph of anything but a speck of course, but if you want to watch a shooting star that isn't really a shooting star... I hope the skies are clear
That's cool! I didn't think that the shuttle's descent will actually be visible from Singapore! Can try doing a long exposure, get a startrail that isn't from a star..
Yup, since I'm only an hour's drive away, there's no reason to not at least go see it once.
Awesome Gengh.:thumbsup:..I'm jealous you saw the shuttle launch...!
Its the last few as the fleet is due to be decommissioned.
Thanks Richard! Yah, there's just two more launches, and I don't think I'll go see Discovery's last launch since it's also scheduled for mid-day. If Endeavour launches at night or during dawn/dusk, I'll go again to experience the different setting.
