The International Space Station is the largest man-made satellite orbiting Earth.

Spanning the length of a football field, it has six astronauts living and working on board.

On certain nights, you can spot the station as it streams overhead at 17,500 mph — if you know where and when to look, including in Arizona. Another opportunity happens over the Phoenix area at 8:08 p.m. Saturday, May 16. 

“It’s super easy,” said Stephanie Schierholz, a spokeswoman for NASA’s Human Space Flight.

At the request of azcentral.com, Schierholz and Vishnu Reddy, an associate professor in the University of Arizona’s Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, shared tips about how to spot the ISS.

How often does ISS pass overhead?

If you think your days go by quickly, consider this: The International Space Station orbits the Earth every 90 minutes, with astronauts seeing a sunrise or sunset every 45 minutes. 

You won’t be able to see the space station from Earth during the day. But in a given year, you will have several good sighting opportunities shortly before dawn or after dusk. Two factors determine whether you can see the space station: 

• The spacecraft has to be overhead within an hour or so before dawn or after dusk. It’s sunlight reflecting off the station’s eight solar panels that makes the satellite visible from Earth. 
• It also has to be good weather. Clouds can obscure views of the station. 

Can I see the ISS from my location?

In Phoenix, the space station will appear in the southwest at 8:08 p.m. Saturday, May 16 and should be visible for about six minutes before disappearing in the northeast.

Find out in advance when the space station will be overhead by signing up for text message or email alerts from NASA at spotthestation. Enter your city and a cellphone number or email address for the precise minute when the space station will appear and disappear. 

Spot the Station is popular with more than 200,000 sign-ups at any given time. 

Several hours in advance, you will get a text message or email notifying you of what is expected to be a “good viewing.” Good viewings are when the space station is high enough in the sky and it’s dark enough to see the lights.

The alert tells you when the spacecraft will appear, how long it will be overhead and the direction from which it will appear and where it will disappear. 

Another website, N2YO.com, allows you to check whether ISS will be visible in the next 10 days over your location.

On the N2YO.com website, select the menu that says “most tracked,” then select the menu that says “space station.” Finally, select the tab that says “10-day predictions” on the left-hand side. Input your city to see times and dates when the space station will pass overhead. Look for ones highlighted in orange, indicating the station will be visible.

Can you see ISS without binoculars?

The space station is clearly visible with the naked eye. Neither binoculars nor a telescope is needed.

Once you know the space station is going to be overhead, you can set a reminder on your cellphone. Set one alarm 5 minutes before it’s visible to remind yourself to go outside. Set another alarm for the exact minute when the station is expected to appear. 

How do I view the International Space Station?

Once outside, orient yourself: which way is north, south, east and west? The space station typically moves from south to north or north to south. 

The NASA Spot the Station email or text alert gives directions on where the station will appear. For example, “36 degrees NW” means the station will appear 36 degrees above the horizon in the northwest part of the sky. 

To figure out the degrees, stretch your arm out straight, make a fist and stack your fists on top of each other. One fist is the equivalent of 10 degrees. So 36 degrees is the equivalent of four fists stacked on top of each other.  

What does the space station look like?

Look for a bright, moving dot. It will be brighter than a star and almost as bright as Venus, the brightest planet in the sky. If planes are in the sky, it may take a moment to tell the difference. Planes have blinking lights; the space station does not. 

The International Space Station is unmistakable once you spot it. It’s visible for a few minutes as it sweeps across the sky and then disappears into the horizon. 

Reach the reporter at [email protected] or 602-444-8072. Follow her on Twitter @anneryman.

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