AIMLESSLY UNBALANCED

Franklin , Tennessee - with more and more people not having jobs to do , they now have more time on their hands , to spend with the " kids " . A great way to spend some of that time is to track the ISS ( aka , the international space station ) and it's also a great idea for a science fair project.

Last night , several of us got to see ISS again. (yes , again. It's fun) With all of the past cloudy weather , it felt good to get outside today and enjoy the sunshine , the clear night sky and being with people , who are not interested in stealing from you.

So , what's so great about tracking the ISS from Franklin , Tennessee you might ask , wonder , or even ponder ? Simple , ya can see the thing from Franklin , Tennessee , that's why ! Yes folks , ever so often , the ISS orbit brings it over Franklin air space. Yes , really , no joking.

The top picture shows the Soyuz docked on one end. This is the only reliable / viable space vehicle to date for servicing the ISS , while America continues it's outer space program without a manned space program.

The middle picture shows the size of ISS after more modules and solar panels were added this past year and it's not even finished , yet. ( tool bag not included , it's in a orbit all to itself and yes , you can track that )

The bottom picture dates from 1999. Does'nt look like much , does it ?

So , you might ask , " Just how do I go about tracking the ISS ? " Simple , do the Google thing. There are plenty of web sights to check out. My favorite is lizard-tail. Keep in mind , NASA no longer gives the public , correct tracking information , due to their safety / security concerns over Red Necks with shotguns. While other nations do not have the capability of shooting down the ISS , give a Red Neck a shotgun and anything is possible.

Today , the ISS is the 3rd brightest object in the sky over Franklin. That's right folks. ISS is brighter than Venus. Thanks to the last shuttle mission , ISS now has a solar array , larger than a football field.