Sky Watch 5 : 15th May - See the International Space Station flyby

This week is a bit different. I get asked if you can see the International Space Station. The answer is yes! You do need to check out when it is due to fly over the night sky in your area and where to look. If you are 2 minutes late going out, ISS will have flown by! So how do you find out the information? Well, I’ve provided the details for the week ahead (for most of the UK, but there may be a little deviation to where you live, so go out just a little earlier to avoid missing the flyby) - and you can see that we will have plenty of opportunities. It is not always like this - it just happens to be a particularly good week!

If you are able to get an app, I would recommend ISS Spotter. You can get the free version - which is what I have on my iPad and it is excellent. There are other apps available for all smart phones and some you can pay for if you want to. I prefer the free option!

To find out when ISS is going to fly over your area, you just click on the ‘Forecast’ button. If you look at how bright Venus is at the moment, that is how bright the ISS will appear. ISS always appears in the west and takes about 90 seconds to flyby, travelling across to the east. Choose forecast times where there is the highest angle - higher in the sky - with 90º being overhead. Where there are 3 stars shown - that shows the best opportunities. If you have binoculars and can track ISS (not easy) you might just see the huge solar panels. Seeing the ISS is worth trying and if you want to see it in the months ahead - get an ap.

Details courtesy of the ISS Spotter app