Is it a big bird carrying a bright light? Is it a fast-flying plane?
No, that star-like object you might have seen soaring across the Houston sky during the last three nights is the International Space Station, the supersized laboratory that circles around the Earth every 90 minutes. And it likely will be visible to Space City residents on three of the next four nights as well.
Houston-area stargazers are expected to be able to see the International Space Station from 9:38-9:42 p.m. Thursday, according to Spot The Station, a website operated by NASA. It also could be visible for 6 minutes starting at 8:49 p.m. Friday and for 2 minutes starting at 8:50 p.m. Sunday as clear skies are forecasted throughout the rest of the week.
Light from the sun makes the space station, which is about the size of a football field, look like a star that moves quickly across the night sky or perhaps a fast-moving airplane without flashing lights. It can be seen with the naked eye only at night and travels at 17,500 miles per hour – nearly 30 times faster than a plane.
On Thursday, the International Space Station is expected to appear in Houston's sky at 10 degrees above the west-by-northwest horizon and disappear 4 minutes later at 15 degrees above the south-by-southwest horizon. It will reach a maximum height of 20 degrees above the horizon, according to Spot The Station.
The space station is projected to reach a maximum height of 40 degrees above the horizon on Friday night, when it will appear at 10 degrees above the west-by-northwest horizon and disappear at 10 degrees above the south-by-southeast horizon.
The space station will be much closer to the horizon Sunday night, when a max height of 11 degrees is expected. It will appear at 10 degrees above the west-by-northwest horizon and disappear at 10 degrees above the southwest horizon, with a potential viewing window of only 2 minutes.
The International Space Station was visible in Houston twice on Monday night and again on Tuesday and Wednesday nights, according to Spot The Station.
