My “spot the Station” email alerted me as follows: “Time: Sunday July 02 5:50AM, Visible: 4 min, Max Height: 55°, Appears: 11° above SSW, Disappears: 43° above E”. Looking at the Google map coordinates, I figured that the Folly Beach pier would be a good place from which to view and photograph it, so I set my alarm clock accordingly. I guessed that a maximum height of 55 degrees could be included in the frame, but as I watched it hurtle through the sky, it passed almost overhead, impossible to photograph while still keeping the ground in view. I would have thought that 90° maximum height would have been more accurate, but then I guess I’m interpreting it wrong (wouldn’t wan’t to argue with NASA) and anyway Math was never my strong point. In any event, I enjoyed the show and then stayed to watch the sun come up in the company of lots of other early risers. I’m always glad later that I made the effort to get out of bed although I need to find someone to explain how to correctly predict the path of the ISS.
