Look up! You can see the International Space Station this week

It's a bird! It's a plane! It's the International Space Station! There will be several opportunities to catch a glimpse of the ISS passing over our heads this week! Some of these sightings will be better than others; I'll explain why below.

WHERE AND WHEN TO LOOK

SUNDAY : I will only briefly mention this passing because it is frankly not a great one. The ISS will be over our heads for five minutes at 10:27 p.m., but the peak height is only 22 degrees. That is in the lower quarter of the sky and will likely be blocked by trees/buildings, etc. There are several other chances to see the International Space Station, though!

MONDAY: This passing is three minutes long and will be much higher in the sky, making it easier to find the ISS. It will appear in the northwestern part of the sky at 10 degrees. It will move across the sky and set in the north-northeastern part of the sky at 66 degrees above the horizon - so it will stay at the peak height as it disappears. The ISS will be visible Monday night at 11:15 p.m. for three minutes. The max height will be 66 degrees above the horizon, so it will be about halfway up the sky. Try to get away from trees or buildings to see it easier!

TUESDAY: The only chance to find the ISS on Tuesday will be at 10:26 p.m., and it will be visible for five minutes. While this passing is longer, the max height is lower at only 41 degrees. It will appear in the northwestern part of the sky at 10 degrees. It will move across the sky and set in the eastern part of the sky at 22 degrees above the horizon.

WEDNESDAY: While there are technically three passings on Wednesday, two will be too low to see the ISS. This passing is three minutes long. It will appear in the west-northwestern part of the sky at 10 degrees. It will set in the west-southwestern part of the sky at 41 degrees above the horizon - so it will stay at the peak height as it disappears. The ISS will be visible Wednesday night at 11:15 p.m. with a max height of 41 degrees above the horizon, so it will be in the lower half of the sky.

*Thursday*: This is the best passing of the week and definitely worth a look! This will be a long duration passing, but also very high in the sky - so it will be easier to spot. This will be a five-minute passing with a peak height of 79 degrees. It will appear in the west-northwestern part of the sky at 10 degrees at 10:26 pm. It will race across the sky for 5 minutes and set in the southeastern part of the sky at 35 degrees.

HOW TO FIND IT
For perspective, the horizon is at zero degrees, and directly overhead is 90 degrees. If you hold your fist at arm’s length and place your fist resting on the horizon, the top will be about 10 degrees. The space station looks like an airplane or a very bright star moving across the sky, except it doesn’t have flashing lights or change direction. It will also be moving considerably faster than a typical airplane. It travels at about 17,500 mph! Use the image below to help! In the example below, the max height is 66 degrees.

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