Bright ISS for May

Weather permitting, the International Space Station will be making some nicely visible evening passes across Santa Barbara’s skies over the next week. Its orbit may change, and I’ve only listed the best evening events. To get the latest and most complete predictions, visit Heavens Above.

There are some bright predawn passes in this sequence, so if you’re an early bird, be sure to look them up.

On Wednesday, May 6, the ISS will pop up in the SSW, in Vela, at 9:09 PM PDT, and climb up into the mast and sail asterism of Corvus in the SSE, disappearing in our shadow at 9:11 PM.

We’ll get two appearances on Thursday, with the first one starting at 8:22 PM in the S, in Vela, then cruising below Corvus, through the emerging head of Serpens, and into Hercules, ending at 8:27 PM in the E. On its next orbit, it will appear in Monoceros at 9:58 PM in the WSW, pass below bright Jupiter in Gemini, then through dim Camelopardalis and below Polaris along the top of Cepheus, fading out at 10:03 PM in the NNE.

Friday’s pass will rise in the WSW in Canis Major at 9:10 PM, and sail high above by bright Procyon, past the heads of Gemini and across the head of Ursa Major, and through the bowl of the Little Dipper asterism to set near Vega low in the NE at 9:16 PM.

Saturday’s pass will be the best and brightest of this sequence, and come just before the start of the SBMNH Monthly Public Star Party. It will start at 8:22 PM in the SW in Puppis, and pass high overhead, going past reddish Alphard, the heart of Hydra, through the hips of Leo, then the head of Boötes, and end in Hercules on the NE horizon at 8:29 PM.

On Sunday, the station will appear in the NNW at 9:12 PM, near the setting red supergiant Betelgeuse, and skim our mountain horizon, going above brilliant Venus, bright yellow Capella, above rising Perseus, Cassiopeia, and Cepheus, fading out in the NW at 9:18 PM.

Monday’s ISS will be a higher version of Saturday’s trajectory, starting in the WSW at 8:24 PM, and ending in the NW at 8:30 PM.

The station will return with evening events for us around May 21, based on its current orbit.