Watch Space Station go over as fireworks burst in mid-air

William Atkins
Saturday, 04 July 2009 19:30

Science - Space

To find out when to see the space station from your city, visit: NASA Sighting Opportunities.

For central Illinois, I’ll have to wait until tomorrow. My sighting were early this morning. But, on July 5th, I have five opportunities at just after midnight, 1:41 am, 3:16 am, 4:51 am, and 10:57 pm. And, my 4:51 am opportunity gives me the longest viewing time, around five minutes.

NASA states, “The largest spacecraft ever built, the station also is the most reflective. It will be brighter than most stars at dawn and dusk, appearing as a solid, glowing light, slowly traversing the predawn or evening sky. It is visible when lit by the sun while the ground below is not in full daylight. It moves across the sky too fast for conventional telescopes, but a good set of binoculars can enhance the viewing experience, even revealing some detail of the station's structure.”

It adds, “The station circles Earth every 90 minutes. It is 357 feet long, about the length of a football field including the end zones, and 45 feet tall. Its reflective solar arrays are 240 feet wide, a wingspan greater than that of a jumbo jet, and have a total surface area of more than 38,000 square feet.”

You can also find out your sighting opportunities at Satellite Flybys, courtesy of SpaceWeather.com.

If you miss it the weekend of the July 4th, don’t worry. The multiple viewing opportunities of the space station flybys will continue through mid-to-late July for people in the United States, depending on your location.

The space shuttle Endeavour is currently scheduled to launch on July 11th, so you may get a chance to see the pair flying over your local night sky, too.

For those people in the United States, Happy Independence Day!

And, let's celebrate the fact that many other countries also celebrate their independence, too.

The United States is one partner of the International Space Station, joining Russia, Japan, Canada, and ten of the eighteen countries of the European Union (Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland) in the joint venture to build and maintain the International Space Station.

Many other countries also contribute in various ways (like sending their astronauts to the ISS), such as Brazil, the United Kingdom, South Korea, Mexico, South Africa, and Malaysia.

Cooperation and Independence is International! Celebrate!