La NASA developed an app called Spot the Station and a web page to more easily view the International Space Station. It is the third brightest object in the sky, and it is very easy to see it if you know where to look.
With the app and website, NASA offers a simple tool to follow the space station journeys and so not lose sight of her when he passes by you. The ISS is visible with the naked eye, without the need to use telescopes or visual amplification tools. It is an incredible experience and a way to learn more about the contribution it makes to the development of civilization. How to use the Spot the Station application, its website and everything you need to know to take advantage of it.
Spot the Station app to track the ISS
To the human eye, The International Space Station looks like an airplane that moves at high speed, only it flies higher and much faster. At thousands of miles per hour. To learn to look at the sky and scrutinize it successfully, the Spot the Station application and website provide us with a series of very precise instructions.
The format of the warnings indicates the time, visibility time, maximum elevation height, appearance point and vanishing point. In this way, we can prepare in a relatively simple way to be able to see the passage of the ISS through our area. If we have a telescope, the experience is even more incredible, being able to appreciate in greater detail the passage of this technological device that is so important worldwide.
The International Space Station orbits the Earth with an inclination of 51,6 degrees. Therefore, the furthest south or north you will go from the Equator Line is 51,6 degrees latitude. If you live north or south of this degree, the season will never pass over your head. Places like Alaska, for example, make viewing a little more complex because of this.
What does the ISS look like?
The space station looks like a very bright plane or star crossing the sky, but without lights or changes in direction. Additionally, it moves at a markedly higher speed than a traditional airplane. To give you an idea, a traditional airplane flies at 965 kilometers per hour, while the International Space Station travels at 28.000 kilometers every hour.
How often can you see the ISS?
Importantly, The International Space Station can be seen thanks to the reflection of sunlight. It is the same reason why we can see the Moon. Unlike our planet's natural satellite, the brightness of the ISS is not enough to see it during the day. It can only be viewed during dusk or dawn depending on each location. With this in mind, the viewing frequency can be once a month or a few times a week. Always in times of darkness and with the station passing just above your location.
The best of all is that, thanks to the Spot the Station application, you will be able to know in advance the passage of the station and see it without the need for special equipment. It is a different opportunity to have fun and appreciate one of the Technological advances most important for humanity orbiting our planet. There, top-level scientists are in charge of carrying out all kinds of research that marks the technological advance of humans.
Sign up for Spot the Station
The Spot the Station app and website work as a alert system and geographic location. You need to register with an email, enter the registration code and that's it. From that moment on you will receive warning messages when the International Space Station is close to passing through your city. If your location does not appear in the registry, you can register with another location that is closer to you.
If you do not receive warning messages, the passage of the station at a time of visibility may not yet be planned. In any case, you can enter the app interface or the website itself to follow the route in real time.
Conclusion
Spot the Station is an application created primarily for those enthusiasts of technology and outer space. NASA and the space research organizations that make up the research teams are working to bring the ISS closer to the community. That is why this app is so practical, in addition to allowing the spectacle of watching the station go by, it also keeps you informed about the latest news. A way to bring the community closer to the work carried out by these researchers who, from above, work to continue developing our planet.
