Have you ever looked up on a clear night sky and wonder where the ISS might be? If so, there’s a website for that.
NASA has made it easier for observers to sign up for email alerts or text messages whenever the space station may be visible overhead. Because of the enormous size of the space station – its large solar arrays span the area of a U.S. football field, including the end zones, and weighs 892,981 pounds – it’s the third brightest object in the sky. At altitude, which ranges from 220-250 miles, it can appear to be a moving star. Keep in mind the ISS has no blinking lights like an airplane or commercial jet airliner.
At 6:15 AM on Sept.11, I photographed the ISS during an 88-second timed-exposure. The ISS appeared from SSW of downtown Orlando (in the upper right of the photo) and streaked across the sky in a ENE direction. From my experience I have found that the best viewing times, weather permitting, are after dusk and before dawn.
Whenever I see the ISS on orbit, traveling at 17,500 mph, I’m thankful for the dedicated space explorers who are living, working and circling our planet to better life back on Earth.
NASA has provided a website http://1.usa.gov/187Nb92 to Spot the Station.
By Red Huber, Orlando Sentinel
to see the original article CLICK HERE
