when can I see the intrnational space center at night?

Question

I saw in usa today that I could see it any night if I looked hard enough

Answer 1

Yes, many have seen it. Just recently a lot of people were lucky enough to see the ISS and the Space Shuttle flying in formation after it left the station. Use this web page to find out how you can plan to see it for yourself. Good luck. I have missed every opportunity to see it lately because of cloud cover.
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http://spaceflight1.nasa.gov/realdata/sightings/
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.Eric
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Answer 2

Dan S is mistaken--The ISS has been plainly visible in the night sky for years now (ever since they started constructing it). It is true that it gradually gets brighter as they add more shiny parts to it. I have been watching it occasionally for several years now.

But it's not visible EVERY night. In order for it to be visible from a given city, three favorable things need to happen at the same time:
1. Its path must take it reasonably close (within about 1000 miles) of the city (otherwise it won't be above the horizon);
2. It needs to be dark where the city is (otherwise the sky will be too bright for you to see the ISS).
3. It needs to be LIGHT at the altitude where the ISS is (that is, the sun needs to be shining on it); otherwise the ISS will be too dark for you to see.

These conditions happen at irregular intervals. Usually, the ISS will be visible for a few nights in a row at your city; then there may be a period of two or three weeks when you can't see it.

As others have recommended, you should go to the "heavens-above.com" website. You can enter your location, and then get excellent predictions for when the ISS (or the Space Shuttle, or the Hubble telescope, or any other satellite you like) will be visible from your city. If you "bookmark" the website, it will remember your city the next time you go back, so you don't have to enter it again. It's a really outstanding site.

The predictions at heavens-above are presented in a table. In the table look for the "passes" that have a high "max. altitude" value (30 degrees or higher). Those are the easiest to see.

Also, pay attention to the times given in the table. the ISS typically takes only 5 minutes or so to cross the sky, so you need to make sure you're out there at just the right time.

Answer 3

At some time or another each evening/morning, the ISS is visible where I live as long as the sky is clear. I usually see it from somewhere in the West travelling to the Northeast between 11:00 P.M. and 3:00 A.M. This may be somewhat different for the location where you are. I have a Starry Night program for my computer. It lets me "see" the time and location of the ISS. Then I can go outside several times a week at night and try to see it in the sky.

Answer 4

Log on to this web site, and enter your location:
http://www.heavens-above.com/

It will give you accurate predictions of passes of the International Space Station and many other satellites. The ISS is as bright as anything in the sky, and very easy to see. I saw it twice on Saturday night, on two successive orbits around the Earth.

The posts about Mars being close or bright on August 27 are entirely wrong. This is an internet hoax, a holdover from August 27 2003, when Mars was close, but nowhere near as big as the email said. Mars will be quite bright and close in December 2007, but never any bigger than a point of light, looking like a bright star.

Answer 5

Not yet,

When the new solar panel array is installed the International Space Station will be visible from the surface of the Earth as a moving and twinkling star.

Just wait until after the next shuttle mission and you will see. Provided you are in an area dark enough to see the night sky.

Answer 6

You can see it every so often depending on where it is at the right time. Usually overhead for a short time after sunset. Go to this web site to track the orbit to determine the best times.

http://www.heavens-above.com/selecttown.asp?CountryID=US

You can see Mars every night this time of year. It's just set to make it's closest approach to earth on the 27th.

Answer 7

im not sure but u can see mars with ur naked eye on agust 27th