Venus, International Space Station spotted from Mount Washington Observatory – The Boston Globe

Meteorologists at the Mount Washington Observatory in New Hampshire saw Venus shining bright as the International Space Station sailed across the sky Saturday evening.

Observatory Staff Meteorologist Ryan Knapp caught a glimpse of the International Space Station in motion when he went outside to snap a picture of Venus, according to a tweet from the observatory.

Unfortunately, the cold temperatures drained his battery causing him to miss out taking a long exposure as it streaked through the sky, the observatory said in the tweet. However, after running inside to get a spare battery, he still managed to capture it as it was soaring directly overhead.

Venus is one of the brightest objects in the night sky. Along with Jupiter, it can be seen from the observatory throughout the year, Knapp said.

Right now, Venus is at one of its peak capacities and it will continue to get brighter until mid-to-late April, when it will start dropping below the horizon and get a little dimmer," he said in an interview.

The International Space Station is also seen frequently throughout the year so long as the conditions are just right. If the station falls too far under the horizon or its cloudy which it is for 60% of the year on Mount Washington it might not be seen for up to a month at a time, Knapp said.

The best time to spot the station from the observatory is just before sunrise or just after sunset, Knapp said.

Knapps pictures showed the International Space Station streaking over Mount Lafayette while Venus illuminated the sky during dusk. Knapp said he saw the station zooming through space on Saturday and Sunday this weekend.

Sometimes it takes the station five or six minutes to pass over the observatory, while other times it takes less than a minute. Knapp said the stations speed depends on its location on the horizon.

The International Space Station moves about five miles per second, so it is a fast moving object that you really have to look out for to catch," Knapp said. "If you dont, it will be gone before you find it.

Caroline Enos can be reached at caroline.enos@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @CarolineEnos.

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Venus, International Space Station spotted from Mount Washington Observatory - The Boston Globe