Night owls take note, if you’re outside tonight about 10 p.m. and you happen to gaze upward, you’ll likely get a glimpse of the International Space Station.
According to NASA, the orbiting science centre will be visible above the Okanagan until Aug. 10.
“It’s certainly well worth watching,” said Penticton astronomer Ken Tapping. “It’s quite a spectacular thing.”
The ISS should appear tonight about 10:10 p.m. from the western edge of the horizon. It will take roughly six minutes to travel across the sky.
On Saturday, it will appear at 9:19 p.m. Look for the really bright object travelling fast across the sky. It should be visible with the naked eye.
Tapping — who works at the Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory — said locating the ISS with a telescope might be difficult because it’s moving quickly.
However, it’s not impossible and the payoff could be worth it, Tapping said.
“You actually can start seeing things like the solar cells — like the big fins sticking out,” he said.
“It’s a devil to find because it’s moving. But if you can get pointed at it with a small telescope, you should see that it’s definitely not a planet, that it’s something that’s irregularly shaped.”
He’s even seen skilled photographers capture pictures of the old U.S. Space Shuttles docked on the ISS.
You don’t even have to leave your backyard. While sometimes astronomers suggest finding a dark corner in the country to spot shooting stars, that’s not necessary for the ISS.
Tapping said only the moon might rival it for brightness.
“It’s hardly necessary. It’s so bright.”
If you need a little help from your phone — or your tired of chasing cartoon squirrels — SkySafari 5, Star Walk, Sky Guide, Night Sky,Star Chart, Stellarium are apps that may help you spot the ISS, planets and constellations.
