Can the human eye spot a space satelite?

Question

Well, am argueing with this guy on a fourm about Satelites.. I was wondering can you acually see a satelite from earth to space?

Answer 1

a tiny shiny spot.

Answer 2

yes. I have seen many and so has my father. we've even watched them together

http://www.heavens-above.com/

if you can find one flying over your area (see link) and there is very little city lights nearby, then you can see one too.

especially the ISS. its a nice one esp when the sunlight bounces off the solar panels and makes the ISS light up in a bright flash for a second

oh and to throw your "buddy" off you can bring up the moon

by definition its a satellite too. (its a "natural satellite"...... the machine man made and put into orbit for communications is called a "man made satellite")

Answer 3

Yes, satellites are easy to see. Especially the International Space Station looks like a VERY bright star and it kind of looks like a high flying airliner when it passes over. You can use the source to tell when to look for it to pass over your location.

Answer 4

yes.  i have seen them many times on a clear night.  they look lie a small twinkling star moving fairly swiftly accross the sky.

Answer 5

sure.

if you get off the computer and actually *look* at the sky, you will see them. they are sometimes hard to avoid.

the best times are dusk, when the sky has just gotten dark, and dawn, just before the sky starts to brighten.

Answer 6

Obviously you could, as nothing's to say you can't use telescopes, now is there? :P

Answer 7

At night occasionally you can see a tiny light moving across the sky if you know where and when it will be and it is super dark where you are.  telescopes help...

here's an excerpt from a cornell site

Can you see satellites with the naked eye from Northeast OH?

Sure. Satellites reflect the light of the sun, allowing them to be seen from the ground. The best way to find them is by going outside on a dark night and stand (or sit!) facing south (or north, if you live in the southern hemisphere). (This is because most satellites orbit the equator of the Earth) A satellite will appear as a "star" moving slowly across the sky, usually from east to west or west to east.

Unlike meteors, satellites are slow-moving and yellow (not red-orange) due to the sun's reflected light.

The International Space Station can be particularly impressive to see. To know when and where to look for it, you can use some of the on-line ressources like Heavens above.

There are a few satellites that orbit in a north-south direction. Those are the spy satellites. If you see one, be sure to wave!

Answer 8

You can certainly see the larger ones for an hour or more after sunset or before sunrise.  Here's a great web page that lets you find all of them visible at your location.

http://www.heavens-above.com/

Answer 9

Sure can, I've seen lots of them. Here's a site that will tell you when and where to look for some of the more spectacular ones:

http://www.heavens-above.com/

Be sure to enter your viewing location, and have fun.