SPOT THE ASTRONAUT

Nasa’s new interactive map shows exactly when and where you can see the International Space Station overhead

Online tool give minute-by-minute guide to when you can get a glimpse of astronauts zooming overhead at 17,500mph

Felix Allen

Published: 13:28, 4 Nov 2016
Updated: 22:22, 4 Nov 2016

LOOK up at the right time and you might catch a glimpse of some astronauts zooming overhead on the International Space Station.

And now thanks to Nasa's new interactive map, you know exactly where to look and when.

The International Space Station is visible in the night sky as it orbits the Earth at an average height of 240 milesCredit: Alamy

The International Space Station passes in front of the moon as seen through a powerful lens from Earth - but you can see it with the naked eyeCredit: Nasa

The space agency's Spot the Station tool to help stargazers get a minute-by-minute guide to the best sighting opportunities for each pinned location on the world map.

The ISS is visible across from almost everywhere at some point as it circles the globe 15 times a day at 17,500mph.

After dark it is the third brightest object in the sky and easily visible with the naked eye as the sun glints off the probe orbiting at an average of 240 miles above the surface.

According to Nasa the best times to see it are just before dawn and after dusk as it flies past low over the horizon.

When it goes into the Earth's shadow it is more or less invisible from the ground so you have to know where it will be to stand a good chance.

The ISS path through the sky is accurately plotted by Nasa scientists every weekCredit: NASA

An interactive map on Nasa's Spot the Station tool gives the best sighting opportunities for 6,700 locations around the worldCredit: NASA

The website shows the exact times the ISS will be in view at each location - this chart shows sighting in London this week

Nasa's map solves that as it provides a list of the what times the ISS can be seen from thousands of locations across the world.

It gives the exact minute it will appear and give the direction and angle above the horizon.

It also tells you how long it will be in the sky for - in England it is usually between one and four minutes before it vanishes from view.

Armed with this guide, all you have to do is go outside, let your eyes adjust to the dark and look to the correct part of the sky.

In London for instance, Nasa says the ISS was visible at 5.34am this morning.

Tomorrow, Saturday November 5, it will appear at 4.44am, 14 degrees above the horizon in the South-Southeast, and will stay low before disappearing two minutes later in the East-Southeast.

An even better chance comes at 6.18am tomorrow when it will be visible for four minutes and reach much higher in the sky.

The ISS will come into view in the West-Southwest direction, around 10 degrees above the horizon, and will reach 57 degrees up in the sky before vanishing in the East-SouthEast.

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