Get a glimpse of International Space Station from your home in Hyderabad

Hyderabad: The International Space Station (ISS) is the largest human-made object to fly in outer space and can be seen when they fly above our cities, if the conditions are right.

Fortunately, Hyderabad will be able to catch the glimpse of the ISS several times this month.

Between February 8 and 19, the station will be visible in the morning or evening sky a total of nine times in the city. It will look like a luminous star moving quickly from horizon to horizon, and will be visible to the naked eye. During this period, the station will mostly be visible during early mornings. Interestingly, the station will make two appearances on February 18, at 4:31 am and 6:04 am.

Flying only 250 miles above the Earth’s surface at a speed of around 17,500 mph, the ISS is only visible within a few hours before or after sunrise or sunset. This is the optimum viewing period as the sun reflects off the space station and contrasts against the darker sky.

As it is a bright object, it is hard to miss it even in urban areas, if you’re looking in the correct direction. On February 8, the ISS appeared at 7:04 pm, 10 degrees above the north eastern horizon. Remember, 90 degrees is directly over your head. Any number less than 90 degrees will mean that the station will appear somewhere between the horizon and the overhead mark.

If you do not have a traditional compass to navigate the directions, just note where the sun sets. As that is westward, you can easily find the direction where the station will appear. There are several mobile applications that one can use to know the directions as well.

Space enthusiasts can sign up for NASA’s Spot the Station service, which will notify only when the ISS will be clearly visible from your location for at least a couple of minutes. The notices contain information on which direction to look for ISS in your sky.

ISS to retire in 2030

NASA recently extended the life of the International Space Station (ISS) until the end of 2030, after which the ISS would be crashed into a remote part of the Pacific Ocean known as Point Nemo. Launched in 2000, the space lab has orbited 227 nautical miles above Earth with more than 200 astronauts from 19 different countries enjoying stints abroad — representing a continuous human presence in space.

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