News

The Space Station as a blazing star


ISS configuration after STS-115
 
The ISS is visible in the night sky
 
 
26 October 2006
 
Visibility of the International Space Station (ISS) is currently particularly good in the evening sky. Until November, stargazers all over Europe can observe the ISS as a very bright, fast-moving point of light in the sky.
 
Especially in the early evenings right after sunset, the ISS - home of ESA astronaut Thomas Reiter since early July - is very distinct and can be easily distinguished from the stars.

Timing

The visibility periods of the ISS alternate each day - on some days the spacecraft is only visible in the morning, and on the following day in turn, only in the evening.
 
 
Thomas Reiter
   
Thomas Reiter on board the ISS
 
For the rest of October and all through November there are better-than-usual opportunities in Europe for viewing the ISS in the evenings. Given a cloudless night sky, the ISS can be viewed passing at a speed of 28 000 km/h from West to East.

Online tool

The exact time of visibility depends on the location of the viewer.

Go to http://www.esa.int/seeiss to find out the best viewing times from where you live.
  
 
 •  Astrolab Mission (http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Astrolab_German/index.html)

Related links

 •  See the ISS (http://www.esa.int/esaHS/ESAI2X0VMOC_iss_0.html)
 •  See the ISS (http://www.esa.int/esaHS/ESAI2X0VMOC_iss_0.html)
 •  ESA's ISS homepage (http://www.esa.int/esaHS/iss.html)