Re: [guide-user] ISS

Bill J Gray Nov 26, 2003

Hi Kevin,

I'd usually steer people toward Mike McCants' site,

http://users2.ev1.net/~mmccants/tles/index.html

because:

(1) The 'mccants' file contains most readily-observable satellites,
and includes magnitude data. Select 'mccants.tle' in Settings... TLE=,
and when you click on (most) satellites, Guide will be able to give you
some idea as to how bright it will get.

(2) The 'alldat.tle' file is almost absurdly complete. When people
ask me to ID a faint, slow-moving satellite they've picked up (usually
a Molniya or geosynch/geostationary), this is the file I use to do the
check. Almost every satellite that I've been asked to ID has been
identifiable with this list.

(3) McCants' data includes classified satellites, which means it
has some of the brightest ones in the sky (Lacrosse satellites, for
example... and I'd wager that the NOSS groups are not available through
OIG. It's pretty nifty to look through binoculars and see a little
triangle of satellites orbiting in formation.)

-- Bill