Space station visible over next few nights

Published 8:53 pm Friday, January 16, 2009

Clear nights this weekend may offer stargazers a chance to spot some interesting things in the sky.

The International Space Station should be visible tonight, tomorrow night and Monday night for time windows of 4 minutes or less. It typically appears over the western horizon and moves quickly across the sky, disappearing over the eastern horizon within minutes.

Even though ISS is among the most visible objects in the night sky, it can be difficult to find for those who do not know what to look for. Satellites are usually identified as small points of light that move steadily but rapidly.

Based on satellite sighting information obtained from NASA’s space flight Web site, the space station should be visible tonight beginning around 6:25, for a window of about 2 minutes.

Any sightings tomorrow night will likely be brief. You may spot ISS around 6:54, but only for a few seconds.

Monday night looks more favorable for sightings. ISS should become visible about 5:46 and remain visible for 3-4 minutes.

For more accurate sighting information, see www.spaceflight.nasa.gov/realdata/sightings and enter your zip code.