Spot The Station

Sighting Location

Location: Washington, DC, United States

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The following ISS sightings are possible from Monday Mar 30, 2020 through Tuesday Apr 14, 2020

Date	Visible	Max Height	Appears	Disappears
Mon Mar 30, 9:12 PM	2 min	16°	11° above NNW	16° above NNE
Tue Mar 31, 8:25 PM	3 min	13°	10° above NNW	10° above NE
Tue Mar 31, 10:01 PM	< 1 min	18°	15° above NW	18° above NW
Wed Apr 1, 9:14 PM	2 min	30°	12° above NNW	30° above NNE
Thu Apr 2, 8:27 PM	4 min	22°	11° above NNW	14° above ENE
Thu Apr 2, 10:04 PM	< 1 min	18°	18° above WNW	18° above WNW
Fri Apr 3, 9:17 PM	2 min	73°	23° above NW	73° above NW
Sat Apr 4, 8:30 PM	4 min	50°	18° above NW	23° above ESE
Sat Apr 4, 10:06 PM	< 1 min	12°	11° above W	12° above W
Sun Apr 5, 9:20 PM	2 min	27°	18° above W	26° above SW
Mon Apr 6, 8:33 PM	3 min	48°	36° above W	15° above SSE
Wed Apr 8, 8:36 PM	3 min	15°	14° above WSW	10° above SSW

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.