International Space Station to make several passes over Md.

Karen Nyberg, a NASA astronaut, mechanical engineer, and mother of a 3-year-old boy, will spend six months on the International Space Station.

10:29 a.m. EDT, June 18, 2013

The International Space Station is making several passes over Maryland this week, a handful of which will be visible in the night sky so long as skies stay clear.

Some nights the spacecraft will appear brighter than others, and some nights its flyover will be cut short when it passes into the Earth's shadow and turns dark. In general, it will be on a path from the northwest horizon to the southeast each night.

Here are instructions on when and where to look for it over the next week:

The space station appears as bright or brighter than many stars, moving swiftly across the sky like an airplane, but appearing much further away.

NASA astronauts Chris Cassidy and Karen L. Nyberg are on board, in a mission being led by Pavel Vinogradov, a Russian cosmonaut. Follow Nyberg on Twitter for updates and images of Earth from above. She is a mother of a 3-year-old boy and is spending six months in space.

More:
International Space Station to make several passes over Md.