LOOK UP: Want to see the International Space Station? There’s an app for that.
NASA has a new Spot the Station app, available now, to make it easier for users to locate the station. It provides options for capturing and sharing pictures and videos of their sightings in real-time, too.
“With the power of augmented reality, the app’s built-in compass will show you where the space station is — even if you’re on the other side of the globe. Users also can sign up for mobile notifications of upcoming viewing opportunities based on their exact location,” NASA says.
Robyn Gatens, International Space Station director at NASA Headquarters in Washington, says, “Even after 23 years of continuous human presence aboard the International Space Station, it’s incredibly exciting to see the station when you look up at just the right moment. The orbiting laboratory that continues to provide so many unique, tangible benefits for humanity really isn’t that far out of reach.”
The space station is visible because it reflects the light of the sun – the same reason we can see the moon. Unlike the moon, the space station isn’t bright enough to see during the day. It can only be seen when it is dawn or dusk at your location. As such, it can range from one sighting opportunity a month to several a week, since it has to be both dark where you are, and the space station has to happen to be going overhead. With the Spot the Station mobile app, users will know when the station is overhead and how to locate it.
