Spot The Station

Sighting Location

Location: Washington, DC, United States

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The following ISS sightings are possible from Monday Oct 19, 2020 through Tuesday Nov 3, 2020

Date	Visible	Max Height	Appears	Disappears
Tue Oct 20, 6:15 AM	< 1 min	11°	10° above SSE	11° above SE
Wed Oct 21, 7:01 AM	2 min	28°	10° above SW	28° above SSW
Thu Oct 22, 6:14 AM	4 min	34°	10° above SSW	31° above ESE
Fri Oct 23, 5:28 AM	2 min	19°	15° above SSE	17° above ESE
Fri Oct 23, 7:03 AM	2 min	33°	10° above WSW	33° above WNW
Sat Oct 24, 6:16 AM	5 min	71°	28° above WSW	11° above NE
Sun Oct 25, 5:31 AM	2 min	44°	44° above E	13° above ENE
Sun Oct 25, 7:05 AM	2 min	19°	10° above WNW	19° above NW
Mon Oct 26, 6:19 AM	3 min	27°	25° above NW	11° above NNE
Tue Oct 27, 5:33 AM	1 min	21°	21° above NNE	10° above NE
Tue Oct 27, 7:08 AM	1 min	12°	10° above NW	12° above NNW
Wed Oct 28, 6:20 AM	2 min	15°	14° above NNW	11° above NNE
Thu Oct 29, 5:35 AM	< 1 min	13°	13° above NNE	10° above NNE
Fri Oct 30, 6:22 AM	1 min	10°	10° above NNW	10° above N
Mon Nov 2, 6:14 AM	< 1 min	12°	10° above NNW	12° above N
Tue Nov 3, 5:27 AM	2 min	11°	10° above N	10° above NNE

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.