International space station
provides islands an
aerial show

It will be visible in night skies
from tomorrow to Saturday

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Star-Bulletin staff

The international space station will fly into view over Hawaii's night skies four times tomorrow through Saturday, according to Web sites that chart objects in Earth orbit.

Although the station frequently passes over the isles, it can't be seen during the day or when it is in the Earth's shadow.

But when the night skies are clear and the station is illuminated by the sun, it can put on quite a show even though it is 220 miles up.

The best viewing will be at 8:01 p.m. Thursday, when the station will rise in the northwest, pass up through the Big Dipper and arc high across the sky before it disappears into the Earth's shadow high in the eastern sky around 8:07 p.m.

It will look like a bright star moving very fast. Night sky buffs will observe it passing near the bright stars Vega and Altair, two points of the so-called Summer Triangle.

At twilight Friday, it will rise in the north-northwest around 7:07 p.m. and, moving left to right, arc low across the northeastern sky and disappear in the east-southeast around 7:15 p.m. Sandy Beach and Lanai Lookout will be among the best spots to look for it.

Later Friday, at 8:43 p.m. it will rise in the west-northwest and, moving to the left, pass low in the western sky before it blinks out below the moon about 8:48 p.m. Areas with an unobstructed view of the western horizon will be good vantage points.

On Saturday, between about 7:45 and 7:56 p.m., the station will rise in the northwest and, moving to the left, pass under the moon and Mars in the southwest before it disappears. This is another bright pass.

For more information, go to http://liftoff.msfc.nasa.gov/ RealTime/JPass/20/ or http://www.heavens-above.com.