The International Space Station will be visible several times over the next few days as it passes over North Texas.
If you've never seen the ISS pass overhead, it looks a lot like a star but is moving incredibly fast -- about 17,150 mph (or about 5 miles per second). In low Earth orbit, at an altitude of 254 miles (1.3 million feet), it only takes the ISS 92 minutes to make a trip around the planet.
The ISS is generally visible within a few hours after dusk or before dawn, when the sunlight is able to be reflected off the space station and back to Earth.
So where do you look? It'll be visible Friday evening at 8:54 p.m. for about three minutes and again at 10:29 p.m. for about one minute. Friday's first pass will be 43 degrees off the horizon entering from the northeast to the southeast, but the second pass will be low at 12 degrees.
Saturday evening it will be visible for four minutes at 9:41 p.m., moving from the west to the south about 23 degrees off the horizon.
On Sunday, the ISS will be visible for three minutes beginning at about 8:55 p.m. at about 44 degrees off the horizon. The space station will be moving from the southwest to the southeast.
The last chance this week will be on Tuesday, June 9, at 8:56 p.m. for one minute. That trip will be low on the horizon at 12 degrees headed from the southwest to the southeast.
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Since clock times vary, and when the ISS enters your field of view will vary depending on where you are in DFW, it's a good idea to go outside a few minutes before the expected arrival and to keep your eyes on the skies.
Online: More from NASA here
