International Space Station (photo courtesy of NASA)
In the “must do sometime in your life” category comes watching the International Space Station with the naked eye. Only visible within a couple hours of sunrise and sunset, while the sun is still below the horizon, the ISS is large and shiny enough to appear, under the right conditions, nearly as brilliant as the brightest star or planet in the sky as it slowly moves across the heavens.
I’ve watched it several times over the past month and it never fails to impress me that a structure of this size can be visible over such an incredible distance. We recently watched it from our vantage point in Southern Illinois from the time it passed over central Oklahoma until it reached the area around Ottawa, Canada.
Visit NASA’s Spot the Station web site to predict viewing opportunities real-time or to receive emails announcing them, or enter your information below.