ISS To Zoom Across Irish Skies

Edited byMark Dunphy

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The moon rises over Monstarboice, Co Louth, as the International Space Station zooms across the sky on 14 June, 2011. Image Shane Murphy

The International Space Station (ISS) will pass over Ireland at 7.57pm and 9.38pm tonight (20 October).

“The ISS will glow so brightly that it will be one of the brightest things in the sky and will be extremely easy to spot,” said David Moore, Chairman of Astronomy Ireland. “It will rise in the west and get brighter and brighter as it moves through the southern sky. It really is going to be a spectacular sight!”

People in the east and south of Ireland have the best chance of viewing the ISS as skies are expected to partially clear during the late evening.  Further north and west there will be more extensive cloud cover, however.

The International Space Station is the largest spacecraft ever to be put into orbit, and the most expensive thing ever built, at approximately €100 billion. The huge craft is roughly the size of Croke Park, and its massive solar panels reflect sunlight, making it appear extremely bright when seen from Earth. The ISS orbits Earth roughly 350km above the planet’s surface.

Keep track of the International Space Station’s path in real-time

This image of Ireland was taken on the 28th April 2011 at 18.30 GMT from the International Space Station as it passed over the UK.

The east coast of Ireland, as well as the Welsh coastline, is clearly visible. The weather conditions on the ground at the time were hazy which created this obscure but beautiful capture.

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