If you've never seen the International Space Station, now's a good time to look up into the sky.
ALGIS J. LAUKAITIS / Lincoln Journal Star | Posted: Friday, July 10, 2009 12:00 am
If you've never seen the International Space Station, now's a good time to look up into the sky.
It's hard to miss because of its size - and because sunlight makes it shine 15 times brighter than Sirius, the brightest star in the sky.
The space station, 250 miles above Earth and slightly larger than a football field, is the biggest spaceship ever built. Astronauts have been adding to it for 11 years, and scientists say that when it's finished it will be visible to more than 90 percent of the world's population.
"The fact that humans built and launched something that big and it's the brightest star in the sky - it's pretty amazing," said Mark Dahmke, a member of the Prairie Astronomy Club.
Dahmke, 52, has been looking at the stars since he was a boy, and he recently captured photos of the station flying over Lincoln.
The best chance to see it is right before sunrise and right after sunset, he said.
Dahmke described it as a bright solid star that doesn't twinkle.
"As it moves across the sky it goes faster and faster," he said. "It takes several minutes to cross the sky."
At its closest approach, the station will be brighter than planets, too.
Stargazers with telescopes may be able to see details of the space station. A good pair of binoculars will work, too.
On Saturday, NASA will launch a space shuttle to rendezvous with the space station, meaning people with their eyes peeled may be able to see two little dots instead of one.
Reach Algis J. Laukaitis at 473-7243 or alaukaitis@journalstar.com.