Space Station Flybys

Space Station Flybys

North Americans, if you're outside after dark and you notice a bright light slowly gliding overhead, you've likely seen the International Space Station. This week and next the behemoth spacecraft is making a series of passes over the USA and Canada--in some places several times a day. G Taylor spotted the ISS rising above Half Dome in California's Yosemite National Park on June 1st:

 

"This was a lucky shot," says Taylor. " I was photographing Half Dome at the time I knew the Space Station would be making an appearance... but I didn't even know if I had the camera in the right direction. The ISS appeared just after 10pm. A sliver of a moon lit up the valley."

Taylor was under dark skies when he saw the ISS, but you don't have to be. The space station is so bright, it is visible even from light-polluted cities. Check Spaceweather.com's Simple Satellite Tracker to find out when it will fly over your hometown.

Simple Satellite Tracker is based on your zip code in North American and Canada.