Spot The Station

Sighting Location

Location: Pierre, South Dakota, United States

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The following ISS sightings are possible from Friday Oct 19, 2018 through Saturday Nov 3, 2018

Date	Visible	Max Height	Appears	Disappears
Thu Oct 25, 7:06 AM	1 min	13°	10° above SSE	13° above SE
Sat Oct 27, 6:57 AM	3 min	28°	10° above SSW	27° above ESE
Sun Oct 28, 6:06 AM	2 min	16°	13° above SSE	14° above ESE
Sun Oct 28, 7:41 AM	6 min	73°	10° above WSW	11° above ENE
Mon Oct 29, 6:50 AM	4 min	65°	23° above SW	23° above ENE
Tue Oct 30, 6:01 AM	< 1 min	30°	30° above ESE	23° above E
Tue Oct 30, 7:33 AM	6 min	39°	10° above W	11° above NE
Wed Oct 31, 6:44 AM	4 min	60°	50° above WNW	10° above NE
Thu Nov 1, 5:54 AM	1 min	24°	24° above ENE	13° above ENE
Thu Nov 1, 7:27 AM	5 min	27°	13° above WNW	11° above NE
Fri Nov 2, 6:37 AM	3 min	34°	34° above N	10° above NE
Sat Nov 3, 5:47 AM	< 1 min	15°	15° above NE	10° above NE
Sat Nov 3, 7:20 AM	4 min	22°	14° above NW	11° above NE

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.

Astronomical Horizon