Neat!

Last night around bedtime, I sat down with Chris and started scrolling through Facebook on my fancy new phone and I came across this post from KRNV, a local news station:

"Brandon (Their meterologist) is saying the International Space Station is brighter now and visible during the evening. It looks as if it will be a great sight tonight. Grab the kids if they are still up. 10:26-10:30. Appearing in the NNW and fading in the ENE sky. It will be a bright white dot moving at about 17,000mph and over 200 miles above Earth. If you don't catch it tonight, we have attached viewing opportunities over the next several days."

I checked the time.  I read the post aloud to Chris.  He asked the time.  10:20.

He leapt off the couch and ran out the front door.  I got to the front door and he called back to me to grab the keys.  I called Ant, who came out in pajamas.  "Grab some shoes!"  The dogs followed us as we scrambled.

"Come on!" yelled Chris.

He asked why we were bringing the dogs along and both Ant and I told him the dogs were excited and wanted to go for a ride.  We piled into the car and Chris drove us out of the neighborhood.

"Time check!"

"10:24."

I've got a sweatshirt but I can't put it on because Riley is already in my lap.  We get out of the neighborhood and Chris fakes right, left, and straight while trying to figure out which direction is going to get us as far away from the lights as quickly as possible.  He chooses left and we cruise towards Red Rock.  I read the post aloud so Ant knows what on earth is going on.

"Time check!"

"10:25."

We're headed down Red Rock Road when Chris sees it and yells.  He pulls the Dodge into the gravel shoulder, hazards on, people out, dogs have to stay in the car.  We lean against the hood and watch this light- it looked more pinkish than white- haul ass across the sky.  It doesn't sound very fast to say that it crossed the sky in four minutes, but it was 200 miles up and moving at 17,000 mph.  That's about 283 miles per minute.  I have seen the International Space Station with my own eyes, or at least what I am told is the International Space Station.

When the pink light faded out of sight, we piled back in the car and drove back to the house, all excited over our mini adventure.

This timetable of future viewing opportunities is a pain in the ass to post, so check facebook or try to click here.