International Space Station to be highly visible Friday
The International Space Station, ISS, reaches a rare max height this week and will be prominently visible in the skies above Connecticut.
The ISS will be visible for approximately six minutes at a max height of 75 degrees Friday at 8:07 p.m., according to NASA. Binoculars, telescopes and other viewing devices are not needed in order to see the ISS. The ISS can be spotted easily as it appears like a bright star in the night sky. Unlike planes, it does not change direction, does not have flashing lights and moves at a considerably higher speed in comparison to planes. The station travels at 17,500 miles per hour and is visible due in part from its reflection of the sun.
The station will appear in the sky 10 degrees above west-by-southwest and disappear at 17 degrees above north-east.
The max height is the height of the ISS in relation to the horizon in the night sky. If you’re holding your arm directly out at the the horizon and you make a fist, the top of your fist is 10 degrees from the horizon. The top of the night sky is 90 degrees. According to NASA, alerts are sent out when the ISS is more than 40 degrees above the horizon, which offers the best opportunity to see the station.
The ISS is a collaborative space station first launched in 1998 for the purpose of aerospace research between the space agencies of the U.S., Russia, Europe, Japan and Canada, according to NASA. Orbiting the Earth for 25 years, the station has hosted more than 270 astronauts onboard. The current crew, Expedition 70, is studying the benefits of microgravity for humans both on-and-off Earth.