ERIC Number: EJ859253
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2008
Pages: 15
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0740-8404
EISSN: N/A
Sighting the International Space Station
Teets, Donald
AMATYC Review, v30 n1 p66-80 Fall 2008
This article shows how to use six parameters describing the International Space Station's orbit to predict when and in what part of the sky observers can look for the station as it passes over their location. The method requires only a good background in trigonometry and some familiarity with elementary vector and matrix operations. An included set of exercises leads the reader step-by-step through the computations. Specific instructions are included for implementation of the method using a spreadsheet tool such as Excel. This article gives students the rare opportunity to use classroom mathematics to solve a complicated real-world problem, and to observe the results of their solution in real time.
Descriptors: Space Exploration, Familiarity, Spreadsheets, College Mathematics, Mathematics Instruction, Trigonometry, Matrices, Mathematical Concepts, Computation, Computer Uses in Education, Problem Solving, Relevance (Education)
American Mathematical Association of Two-Year Colleges. 5983 Macon Cove, Memphis, TN 38134. Tel: 901-333-4643; Fax: 901-333-4651; e-mail: amatyc@amatyc.org; Web site: http://www.amatyc.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Two Year Colleges
Audience: Students; Teachers
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A