Spot The Station

Sighting Location

Location: Monterey, California, United States

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The following ISS sightings are possible from Wednesday Jan 15, 2020 through Friday Jan 31, 2020

Date	Visible	Max Height	Appears	Disappears
Fri Jan 17, 7:27 PM	< 1 min	16°	11° above SW	16° above SW
Sat Jan 18, 6:40 PM	3 min	31°	11° above SSW	31° above SE
Sun Jan 19, 5:52 PM	4 min	17°	10° above S	10° above E
Sun Jan 19, 7:29 PM	< 1 min	28°	20° above W	28° above W
Mon Jan 20, 6:41 PM	3 min	73°	28° above WSW	40° above NE
Tue Jan 21, 5:53 PM	5 min	57°	19° above SSW	10° above ENE
Tue Jan 21, 7:30 PM	1 min	16°	11° above WNW	16° above NW
Wed Jan 22, 6:43 PM	3 min	26°	20° above WNW	17° above NNE
Thu Jan 23, 5:55 PM	4 min	41°	33° above WNW	10° above NE
Fri Jan 24, 6:44 PM	3 min	13°	10° above NW	10° above N
Sat Jan 25, 5:56 PM	4 min	18°	13° above WNW	10° above NNE
Mon Jan 27, 6:00 PM	< 1 min	10°	10° above NNW	10° above NNW

What am I looking for in the sky?

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 (airplanes generally fly at about 600 miles per hour; the space station flies at 17,500 miles per hour).

Below is a time-lapse photo of the space station moving across the sky.

The International Space Station is seen in this 30 second exposure as it flies over Elkton, VA early in the morning, Saturday, August 1, 2015. Photo Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

Visit the NASA Johnson Flickr Photostream

How do I Spot The Station?

What does all this sighting information mean?

Time is when the sighting opportunity will begin in your local time zone. All sightings will occur within a few hours before or after sunrise or sunset. This is the optimum viewing period as the sun reflects off the space station and contrasts against the darker sky.

Visible is the maximum time period the space station is visible before crossing back below the horizon.

Max Height is measured in degrees (also known as elevation). It represents the height of the space station from the horizon in the night sky. The horizon is at zero degrees, and directly overhead is ninety 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.

Appears is the location in the sky where the station will be visible first. This value, like maximum height, also is measured in degrees from the horizon. The letters represent compass directions -- N is north, WNW is west by northwest, and so on.

Disappears represents where in the night sky the International Space Station will leave your field of view.