Get a text message from NASA when the International Space Station flies over your house

  • Service launched to celebrate 12th anniversary of crews working aboard
  • Most visible around dawn and dusk and appears as a fast moving light

By Daily Mail Reporter

PUBLISHED: 13:30 EST, 3 November 2012 | UPDATED: 13:31 EST, 3 November 2012


It’s the third brightest object in the sky after the sun and the moon, but most people still couldn’t tell you where the International Space Station is.

But now a new service from NASA called Spot the Station will send you a text message when the station is over your house.

Once you know where to look people should be able to see it easily – even without a telescope.

A decade in the stars: Spot the Station was launched to coincide with the 12th year of crew living and working on the International Space Station

A decade in the stars: Spot the Station was launched to coincide with the 12th year of crew living and working on the International Space Station

The service was launched to celebrate the 12th anniversary of crews living and working aboard the station.

‘It’s really remarkable to see the space station fly overhead and to realize humans built an orbital complex that can be spotted from Earth by almost anyone looking up at just the right moment,’ said William Gerstenmaier, NASA’s associate administrator for human exploration and operations.

 

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‘We’re accomplishing science on the space station that is helping to improve life on Earth and paving the way for future exploration of deep space.’

The station is usually at peak visibility at dawn and dusk.

Someone's always home: The station has been occupied continuously longer than any other station in orbit

Someone's always home: The station has been occupied continuously longer than any other station in orbit

Luminary: On a clear night anyone can see the International Space Station as a fast-moving point of light, even without a telescope

Luminary: On a clear night anyone can see the International Space Station as a fast-moving point of light, even without a telescope

When skies are clear, it typically appears as fast-moving point of light.

Spot the Station will calculate the station’s proximity to more than 4,600 positions on Earth, updating its information several time per week.

The service will only notify users if the station is easily visible above trees, buildings, and other objects.

You can sign up for the service by visiting http://spotthestation.nasa.gov.

 
 
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Comments (7)

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I¿ve seen it before, only a couple of times however. you can usually tell what it is due to the fact that it is exceptionally bright (in comparison) and moves at exceptional speed (yet not fast enough to be mistaken for a meteorite), depending on the type of field of view you have you will only be able to see if for a few seconds before it has zoomed right on by.

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I need to get out more. I haven't clicked on a link that fast since Amazon had a sale on Trek merchandise.

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iss tracker on human space flight does the same

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I've been using an app called ISS detector on my phone for ages and before that I used the NASA website, My phone texts me 5 minutes before the ISS is due over my house and I never get tired of watching it go over .

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I found out when it was due over my home when the station had lowered orbit and the shuttle was also in orbit through a website that gave times and directions of interactions with space events. I was able to see both the station and the shuttle moving across the sky several times. Amazing.

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Download iss spotter will give the dates and times its due to pass. Back over the UK in December!

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I've seen what I think is the ISS and it was a truly awesome sight to see at 3am back lit against the stars on a clear summers night. The best bit is catching the sun reflecting momentarily off the solar panels as it moves overhead.

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