AO 51 is approximately 9 inches wide by 9 inches long and 9 inches deep. About a half cubic foot in volume. Something like a 12 pack of beer . . . . The ISS by contrast is 10,000,000 cubic feet or 20 million times bigger than AO51. . . . ISS is only up 200 miles or 1,000,000 feet. I believe that AO51 is up 400 miles which would be 2,000,000 + feet. I can stand to be corrected on the AO51 height. You can see the ISS visually in a clear and dark sky. It is big enough and I encourage you to look for it. It is distinguished from other objects by its speed across the sky. Maybe you have seen it already.
Jim,
No contest on ISS, I started visuals on MIR....I think in 1980...
I was questioning those that saw AO51!!!
I used celestial navigation in WWII to find my way back to the carrier in WWII... I certainly do not claim to be an astrophysicist or any of the disciplines. but I think a simple question deserves a simple answer...
Maybe I'm on the wrong page??
73, Dave, WB6LLO dguimon1@san.rr.com
Disagree: I learn....
Pulling for P3E...