The International Space Station will be visible over Vancouver Island Sunday night at approximately 6:38 p.m., weather permitting.
If the sky is cloudless, residents should be able to see a light like a plane or bright star move across the sky, as the ISS orbits above the Island.
🇨🇦 Vancouver Island
— Ignazio Magnani (@IgnazioMagnani) January 30, 2022
🇨🇦 Greater Vancouver
Happy Sunday: the International Space Station will be visible today to the naked eye (if clouds allow) everywhere at 6:38 pm
📲set your alarm… do look up… share best photo
Crew https://t.co/fI01cZcyfB
ESA NASA https://t.co/B0wOpbTyZ5 pic.twitter.com/RCZmzBgm0Q
The ISS travels far quicker than a plane, circling the Earth every 90 minutes reaching speeds of 28,000 kiometres per hour. For the crew on board, the speeds mean they see 16 sunrises and sunsets every day, according to NASA’s Spot the Station web page.
While this means the ISS may pass overhead fairly frequently, it isn’t always visible.
The space station is visible because it reflects the light of the sun; the same reason the moon can be seen. But the space station isn’t bright enough to see during the day, meaning it can only be made out when it is dawn or dusk.
Since its orbit also changes, meaning it doesn’t pass over the same point at the same time. This means sighting opportunities could happen once a month or up to several times a week.
The Weather Network says the sky will be mainly clear overnight on Sunday, with some cloudy patches.
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@moreton_bailey
bailey.moreton@goldstreamgazette.com
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