ISS Cruising Above During the Holiday

(Photo: NASA)

By Chuck McPartlin

The International Space Station will be cruising through Santa Barbara’s evening skies as we’re eating turkey and leftovers. And if you see a meteor, just remember it may really be their leftovers! To get the most recent predictions, visit Heavens Above.

On Thanksgiving Day, the ISS will make a brief low pass out over the ocean, rising in the SSE at 6:04 PM, and fading out at 6:05 PM.

On Friday, it will jump up in the SW at 6:46 PM, and disappear just before reaching the Moon at 6:48 PM.

On Saturday, the station will rise in the SSW at 5:54 PM, pass near the star Fomalhaut, and enter the Earth’s shadow near the head of Cetus, the Sea Monster, in the E at 5:58 PM. Fomalhaut is known to have a planet and an asteroid belt of sorts, and is about 25 light years away.

On Sunday, November 26, the ISS will appear in the WSW at 6:38 PM, and cruise past the bright star Vega to vanish in the NE at 6:41 PM.

On Monday it will make the best pass of this sequence, rising in the SW at 5:46 PM, sailing high overhead along the eastern side of the Summer Triangle, and fading away near bright Capella in the NE at 5:51 PM.

Tuesday’s pass will be low over our mountain horizon, showing up at 6:31 PM in the WNW, and going away at 6:34 PM in the NNW just below the bowl of the Little Dipper.

On Wednesday the ISS will make a higher and brighter pass all along the mountains, appearing at 5:38 PM in the WSW and setting in the NNE at 5:44 PM.

The ISS will make one more low appearance on Friday, December 1, rising at 5:31 PM in the WNW, and disappearing at 5:35 PM in the N.

Remember to look up and wave!