International Space Station tracker: how to see the ISS fly over Scotland in May – The Scotsman

LifestyleOutdoorsThe International Space Station flies above our heads constantly, orbiting the planet every 90 minutes at a height of over 250 miles

Friday, 15th May 2020, 1:25 pm

Of course, it's impossible to see during the day, but at night - and with the space station's orbit passing over Britain just so - it takes on the appearance of a bright star moving across the sky.

It can actually be startling when you first spot it - a glowing orb without the telltale flashes of an aircraft's wing drifting silently through the dark - but the station passes overhead fairly frequently.

It goes through periods when we won't be able to see it for months, as its diagonal orbit crosses other parts of the planet, but every now and then, there comes a space of a few weeks when it flies overhead - and at night.

We've given the date, the time the station will become visible, and how long it will be in the sky in brackets. Here's when to see it:

May 15 - 10:51pm (5 minutes)

May 16 - 12.26am (6 minutes)

May 16 - 2:03am (6 minutes)

May 16 - 3:40am (5 minutes)

May 16 - 10:04pm (4 minutes)

May 16 - 11:39pm (6 minutes)

May 17 - 1:15am (6 minutes)

May 17 - 2:52am (6 minutes)

May 17 - 10:51pm (6 minutes)

May 18 - 12:27am (6 minutes)

May 18 - 2:04am (6 minutes)

May 18 - 3:42am (3 minutes)

May 18 - 10:04pm (5 minutes)

May 18 - 11:40pm (6 minutes)

May 19 - 1:16am (4 minutes)

May 19 - 2:53am (1 minutes)

May 19 - 10:52pm (6 minutes)

May 20 - 12:28am (5 minutes)

May 20 - 2:05am (1 minutes)

May 20 - 10:04pm (6 minutes)

May 20 - 11:41pm (6 minutes)

May 21 - 1:18am (2 minutes)

May 21 - 10:53pm (6 minutes)

May 22 - 12:30am (3 minutes)

May 22 - 10:05pm (6 minutes)

May 22 - 11:42pm (5 minutes)

May 23 - 1:19am (1 minutes)

May 23 - 10:54pm (6 minutes)

May 24 - 12:31am (2 minutes)

May 24 - 10:06pm (6 minutes)

May 24 - 11:43pm (4 minutes)

May 25 - 10:55pm (5 minutes)

May 26 - 12:33am (1 minutes)

May 26 - 10:07pm (6 minutes)

May 26 - 11:44pm (3 minutes)

May 27 - 10:56pm (5 minutes)

You should have no trouble spotting the International Space Station as it drifts overhead - we say 'drift', but it's actually travelling at over 17,000 mph.

The station takes on the appearance of a bright star, and is usually much brighter than anything else in the sky.

Sometimes the station will rise over the horizon; other times it might 'fade' into view in the middle of the night sky as it enters into the sun's light.

It will always appear in the west, and will travel eastwards.

And just as it appears, it may disappear in the same way, growing fainter and fainter until its completely enshrouded by the Earth's shadow.

You'll easily be able to spot it with the naked eye (cloud cover permitting of course), though even modestly priced binoculars may be able to pick out some of the station's details, like its large solar panels.

So take a look up, there's a good chance you'll spot the International Space Station, and it can be amazing to think there are actually people living up there and conducting experiments within the space environment.

The experiments that they carry out would be almost impossible to replicate on earth.

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International Space Station tracker: how to see the ISS fly over Scotland in May - The Scotsman