It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s the ISS: How to spot the space station from Alabama – AL.com
ISS viewings 2025NASAStarting tonight, north Alabamians will have 10 opportunities to catch a glimpse of the International Space Station.According to a chart posted on NASA’s Spot the Station webpage, the best chances of viewing are on:The station will look like an airplane or a very bright star moving in one direction across the sky, but without flashing lights.It moves 29 times faster than a typical airplane at a speed of at 17,500 miles per hour.NASA offered the following guide for reading the viewing chart.Time is when the sighting opportunity will begin in your local time zone. All sightings will occur 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.Visible is the maximum time period the space station is visible before crossing back below the horizon.Max Height is measured in degrees (also known as elevation). It represents the height of the space station from the horizon in the night sky. The horizon is at zero degrees, and directly overhead is ninety degrees. If you hold your fist at arm’s length and place your fist resting on the horizon, the top will be about 10 degrees.Appears is the location in the sky where the station will be visible first. This value, like maximum height, also is measured in degrees from the horizon. The letters represent compass directions — N is north, WNW is west by northwest, and so on.Disappears represents where in the night sky the International Space Station will leave your field of view.If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, (updated 8/1/2024) and acknowledgement of our Privacy Policy, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (updated 1/1/2025).© 2025 Advance Local Media LLC. All rights reserved (About Us). The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local.Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site.YouTube’s privacy policy is available here and YouTube’s terms of service is available here.Ad Choices
