Spot The Station

Sighting Location

Location: Rapid City, South Dakota, United States

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The following ISS sightings are possible from Monday Feb 18, 2019 through Tuesday Mar 5, 2019

Date	Visible	Max Height	Appears	Disappears
Fri Feb 22, 5:33 AM	2 min	13°	10° above SSE	13° above SE
Sat Feb 23, 6:16 AM	1 min	23°	10° above SW	23° above SW
Sun Feb 24, 5:25 AM	3 min	30°	10° above SSW	28° above ESE
Mon Feb 25, 4:35 AM	2 min	17°	15° above SSE	15° above ESE
Mon Feb 25, 6:09 AM	5 min	66°	10° above WSW	29° above NE
Tue Feb 26, 5:20 AM	3 min	72°	23° above SW	29° above ENE
Wed Feb 27, 4:31 AM	1 min	38°	38° above ESE	26° above E
Wed Feb 27, 6:04 AM	6 min	36°	12° above W	11° above NE
Thu Feb 28, 5:15 AM	4 min	52°	32° above W	12° above NE
Fri Mar 1, 4:26 AM	1 min	38°	38° above NE	20° above ENE
Fri Mar 1, 5:59 AM	5 min	25°	11° above WNW	10° above NE
Sat Mar 2, 5:10 AM	4 min	31°	25° above NW	10° above NE
Sun Mar 3, 4:21 AM	1 min	29°	29° above NNE	14° above NE
Sun Mar 3, 5:54 AM	5 min	21°	10° above NW	10° above NE
Mon Mar 4, 5:04 AM	4 min	23°	19° above NW	11° above NE
Tue Mar 5, 4:16 AM	2 min	22°	22° above NNE	11° above NE
Tue Mar 5, 5:49 AM	4 min	21°	10° above NW	14° above NE

The following CYGNUS sightings are possible from Monday Feb 18, 2019 through Tuesday Mar 5, 2019

Date	Visible	Max Height	Appears	Disappears	Share Event
Sat Feb 23, 5:21 AM	2 min	15°	10° above S	15° above SE
Sun Feb 24, 5:32 AM	3 min	34°	11° above SSW	32° above ESE

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