Those interested in space and astronomy are in luck as the International Space Station (ISS) will be visible from South Africa this coming week until January 6.
The ISS is a large spacecraft orbiting Earth. “It serves as a home where crews of astronauts and cosmonauts live. The space station is also a unique science laboratory. Several nations worked together to build and use the space station,” states NASA.
The ISS circles Earth every 90 minutes, travelling at about 28,000 km per hour. The viewing windows are small, meaning enthusiasts only have a few minutes to spot the craft.
You can see the ISS at the following times, according to Spot the Station:
| Date | Visible | Max Height* | Appears | Disappears |
|---|
| Sun Jan 3, 9:41 PM | 3 min | 19° | 12° above W | 18° above NNW | |
| Mon Jan 4, 8:54 PM | 4 min | 36° | 27° above W | 12° above NNE | |
| Wed Jan 6, 8:56 PM | 2 min | 10° | 10° above WNW | 10° above NW |
Picture: Unsplash