Photo credit: NASA
Here’s something fun to do with the kids this week! If you or your kids love looking up to the stars, you’ll be happy to know that a special treat awaits; the International Space Station will be visible at various times this week, including tonight!
It may be hot and we may wish there was some cloud cover to give a little relief from the sun, but on the flip side, it creates great conditions for viewing the Space Station passing over.
According to NASA’s “Spot the Station” site, there will be various periods this evening and throughout the week that the International Space Station will be visible for approximately 5-6 minutes:
- Tuesday July 14, 8:57 PM
- Tuesday July 14, 10:33 PM
- Wednesday July 15, 9:44 PM
- Thursday July 16, 8:56 PM
Thursday evening may provide the best view, with the Space Station rising in the SW and setting in the NE, reaching a maximum height of 88 degrees.
What should you be looking for? A light that is brighter than most of the surrounding stars that moves across the sky. Expect it to increase in brightness as it moves high during the 5-6 minute period.
“The International Space Station’s trajectory passes over more than 90 percent of Earth’s population. The service notifies users of passes that are high enough in the sky to be easily visible over trees, buildings, and other objects on the horizon,” NASA officials said in a statement at the time of the site’s launch. “NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston calculates the sighting information several times a week for more than 6,700 locations worldwide.”
For more information, visit the “Spot the Station” site here.
