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| International Space Station Orbit in Real Time |
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| Meldonmech:
Hi SwarfnStuf What a brilliant, and interesting video, I was completely captivated. Thanks for showing. Cheers David |
| SwarfnStuff:
Yeah David that is a great video, not sure whether it was a link from elsewhere on this forum or not but thought it worth reposting even if it were. When I looked at the map of the ISS track is seems to follow a sine wave course. Curious, I thought orbits would be more straight line following the curvature of the orb we live on. After all the thing is falling at the same rate as it's rotation. (I think that's how it works?) |
| 75Plus:
--- Quote from: SwarfnStuff on February 10, 2014, 01:49:31 AM --- When I looked at the map of the ISS track is seems to follow a sine wave course. Curious, I thought orbits would be more straight line following the curvature of the orb we live on. After all the thing is falling at the same rate as it's rotation. (I think that's how it works?) --- End quote --- The orbit is straight line. The problem is that depicting a circular orbit on a flattened orb requires drawing it as a sine wave. If you sat down with a globe and tracked the orbit point to point you will get a better understanding. Adding to the depiction problem is that the orbit is not equatorial. It at an angle to the equator so each orbit sees a different part of the earth. Given a period of time every square meter of the earth is eventually overflown. This site shows the orbit super imposed on a globe. http://heavens-above.com/main.aspx Joe |
| SwarfnStuff:
Thanks Joe, That's another reason why this is my favourite forum. Someone seems to be able to answer whatever problem or misconception arises. :smart: I always learn something here. John B |
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