You’ll have ample opportunities to spot the International Space Station this week and if you’ve never seen it, it’s really cool. On Sunday night, the ISS will enter low in the western sky at 11:18 p.m. and streak across it for six whole minutes before exiting low in the northeast.
If you’re an early riser, you’ll be able to see the ISS for six minutes Monday morning starting at 4:10 a.m. It’ll be low in the northwestern sky and eventually exit low in the eastern sky.
You’ll get a six-minute encore performance Monday night starting at 10:25 p.m. Again, it’ll enter and exit low in the sky but this sighting will get as high as 63 degrees so it’ll be tough to miss if you get out in time. The ISS will look like a fast-moving star as it makes its way across the night sky.
Monday night also welcomes the First Quarter Moon at 11:49 p.m. If you’re out enjoying the space station, look for the half-moon as well.
If you’re out early in the evening this week, look for the twin stars before they disappear from the night sky for the summer. Castor and Pollux are the two brightest stars in the constellation Gemini – Pollux is the brighter one. The two were mythological twin brothers and even though they’ll be visible in the fall, the two won’t reach their highest point in the sky until sometime in mid-winter. As you look for the duo, you’ll likely see what appears to be a bright star just below and to the right. That’s Venus! The three will be in the west shortly after sunset. Happy hunting!
