Spot The Station

Sighting Location

Location: Rapid City, South Dakota, United States

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There are no sightings in your area for the period of Monday Aug 13, 2018 through Wednesday Aug 29, 2018

We update the list of space station sightings multiple times a week. Please check back in a few days to see if there are any upcoming sighting events for your area or sign up to receive email or text alerts the next time the space station will be visible overhead.

The space station’s orbit takes it all around the globe so it may pass over you at times when it's less visible, such as either in the middle of the day when it is too bright or the middle of the night when the sun is on the other side of the earth. The best sightings occur early morning before sunrise or in the evening shortly after sunset when the sky is dark but the sun can still reflect light off the metal structures of the space station.

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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