Have you ever wondered where is the ISS , the International Space Station? Yes, it is in the sky, orbiting our planet Earth. But, specifically, at what point in our orbit is the Space Station right now? NASA and ESA answer this question in real time. Thanks to its Live Space Station Tracking Map.
Thanks to this map, which is updated in real time , you will be able to see the orbit course that the Space Station is following and the pattern that it followed and that will continue with a margin of an hour and a half with respect to the current trajectory. In addition, you will see reference information such as latitude, longitude, altitude and speed. Did you know that the ISS is moving at about 28,000 kilometers per hour ?
On the other hand, NASA answers some interesting questions that you may have asked yourself on occasion regarding the International Space Station. For example, is it visible in the sky from where you are right now? Do you need a telescope to see the ISS in the sky? And, in addition, it tells you from where you can see it more clearly near where you live .
Locate the ISS station
NASA has a website dedicated to the ISS, the International Space Station . His job is to provide us with information of interest about this giant of human engineering. Specifically, how to know in what position it is if we look at the sky and what orbit it is following, among other curiosities. The page is called Spot The Station and you can consult it, in English, whenever you want.
First of all, it has a map called Live Space Station Tracking Map. Thanks to this map you will see the position of the ISS in its orbit around the Earth. In real time and with the previous and future position within an hour and a half. This way you will know the approximate position of the Space Station taking our planet as a reference.
This information is provided to us by ESA, the European Space Agency. And you can consult it both in this link of ESA itself and in the dedicated page on the NASA page. There, in addition, you can answer your questions about what the ISS is for , its orbit speed, etc.
And if this seems little to you, NASA links to its Image of the Day page. Although it is not directly related to the ISS, on this website you will find high quality photographs of corners of our planet. It is updated daily, offers a detailed explanation of what the photograph shows and even tells us with which satellite said image was captured. What's more, in some images you can compare the current state of a place on Earth with previous images.
From where you can see the Space Station
Besides knowing where the ISS is right now, surely you would like to see it looking up. In principle, and according to NASA itself, the ISS is the third brightest celestial object in the sky and it is easy to see. Of course, if you know where to look. No need for binoculars or telescope. With your own naked eyes.
But, of course, the International Space Station cannot be seen everywhere. To know where to see it, NASA offers us a map that shows the best places to see the ISS. You can search for your location to sharpen your aim or simply move around the map zooming in or out until you find your location. And from the drop-down, you can indicate country, state or region and city. Thus the map will adapt to delimit the selected area .
Once you have selected a location, you will see a list of dates so you know when is the best time to view the ISS from there. It also tells you for how many minutes it is visible, where it will appear and where it will disappear . Ideal for planning your viewing of the Space Station knowing the exact position in which you have to be so as not to lose detail.
Finally, if you register on NASA's own page, you will receive email notifications with the new dates and directions necessary to see the ISS in the sky . A free service to consider if you like observe the space .
