Watch STS-120/Discovery and Space Station fly overhead

by William Atkins

Thursday, 25 October 2007

Skywatchers here on Earth will be able to see the STS-120 space shuttle and the space station fly overhead in the night sky. Find out when you will be able to see this pair of space bodies.

While the NASA crew of the Space Shuttle Discovery approaches the International Space Station, during its two-week STS-120 mission making additions and modifications to the station, and during it undocking and backing off from the station at the end of its mission, the shuttle and space station will be seen flying quickly across the night sky.

For dates and times of the flyovers, go to Heavens-Above (http://www.heavens-above.com:80/).

The log-in is free. By inputting your location, its database will provide the date and time that the two will fly over your particular location here on the surface of the Earth.

You can also go to NASA SkyWatch (http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/realdata/sightings/) or NASA’s J-PASS (http://science.nasa.gov/Realtime/JPass/).

Traveling at about 5 miles (8 kilometers) per second, they will be seen for only a few minutes in the night sky. The two will appear as bright stars that are traveling quite fast across the sky.

If you have a chance to see it Thursday night, October 25, 2007, or Friday morning, October 26, you will also see a very bright and large full Moon in the night sky. It will be a double treat for those sky-gazers.

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