How to see and track the ISS: from home, with apps
Suppose you are passionate about Cosmos and spaceships. In that case, you probably already know that you can easily spot the International Space Station from your backyard, nearby street, or even your window without any special equipment. Read this article to discover how to do it.
What is ISS?
ISS is International Space Station, a science laboratory in space that orbits approximately 220 miles (350 km) above the Earth. The spacecraft is a collaborative project between 6 participating space agencies: Roscosmos (Russia), NASA (United States), JAXA (Japan), ESA (Europe), and CSA (Canada). It was first launched in 1998 with only one module Zarya and in 2000 the first human crew went to the Station. Today it already has 16 modules and 6 people living and working on the station permanently.
How to see ISS?
The ISS’s speed is approximately 17,227 miles (27,724 km) per hour, and it orbits Earth 16 times every day, making a full circle in 90 minutes, so seeing the station is quite doable when several factors coincide.
The ISS is illuminated by the Sun, and it reflects sunlight in the same way as the Moon during its passage. To see the ISS from Earth, you must be in the correct position to the Sun and the station. Here are several recommendations to spot the ISS from your courtyard.
NASA: Spot The Station Project
You can subscribe to the NASA Spot The Station mailing list to receive notifications 12 hours before the upcoming passage of ISS by your location. In the Sign Up for Alerts section, select a country or city and enter your e-mail or telephone number to be notified. You can also choose whether you want to get notifications in the morning, evening, or both.
The ISS always flies from West to East. It is similar to a very bright and fast-shooting star. At the right time, go outside and look carefully into the sky above the horizon to the west. The Station will be visible for about 2-5 minutes.
Heavens Above
Another useful service is Heavens Above where you can see a diagram of the Earth that shows the location of the ISS in real time. You can also download the Heavens Above app for Android to consult the ISS position whenever you want.
By clicking on this link and filling in your geolocation data, you can also subscribe and check when the ISS will pass by your location in the next 10 days.
What are the best ISS spotting apps?
Another solution is to download an ISS Spotting App, such as the ISS Spotter for iOS devices or the ISS Detector. You can schedule a reminder on both apps to be notified when the International Space Station can be seen nearby.