Spotting the International Space Station!

The International Space Station (ISS) is the largest man-made object in space - and it’s visible to the naked eye!

As with many other things in the night sky, you don’t need a telescope or any special equipment to see the ISS. You only need your eyes and a clear sky.

Larger than a football pitch, the ISS orbits the Earth roughly 200 miles above the surface, speeding around our planet at 17500mph.

The ISS is a laboratory, orbital outpost and test platform for Mankind’s future in space as well as many other experiments. Spacecraft from Russia, America and Europe regularly visit the ISS bringing fresh supplies and ferry crew to and from the station. These tiny spacecraft can also be seen by the naked eye when flying near the ISS.

How to spot the ISS?

As the third brightest object in the sky the space station is easy to spot if you know when to look up. The space station looks like a fast-moving plane in the sky, bright enough that it can even be seen from the middle of a city!

You can find the India pass times and follow AstroHeads on Facebook for alerts, so you know when the ISS is passing over you.

When you get your sighting results from NASA - remember you need to look at the direction and elevation given to be sure to see them. Generally, the station and shuttle move from west to east across the sky.

Once you are good at spotting the station and shuttle you can try using binoculars. As the station expands in size - it is easier to spot and more details may become visible. Also if you are using binoculars you might see the shuttle dumping waste or supply water overboard. As the water is sprayed out it immediately changes into ice crystals, providing a spectacular sight glittering in sunlight.

ISS sighting  last from roughly 2-6 minutes.

The International Space Station can be enjoyed by anyone wherever you live you just need a cloudless sky. It’s a real thrill knowing there are people on it as it passes over.

Make sure you wave, they might wave back.