International Space Station Will Be Visible From Earth in May: Here’s How To Watch

NASA can send you alerts when you can view the space station

International Space Station Turns 25
The International Space Station is visible to the naked eye. NASA via Getty Images

The International Space Station, while usually visible in the night skies when passing overhead, will be easier to see this month.

The space station is the third brightest object in the sky and easy to spot if you know when to look up.

It is visible because it reflects the light of the Sun. It's the same reason we can see the Moon.

However, unlike the Moon, the space station isn't bright enough to see during the day. It can only be seen when it is dawn or dusk at your location.

It can range from one sighting opportunity a month to several a week, since it has to be both dark where you are, and the space station has to happen to be going overhead, according to NASA.

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

This month is one of the best chances to catch a view of it, according to Space.com. That is because as the summer solstice nears on June 20, nighttime hours are shorter and the time that the space station can remain illuminated by the sun can extend well into the night.

NASA has a site that lets you track the space station and even let you sign up for alerts when you can view it from your location.

Tags
Space, International Space Station, Nasa, Earth
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