![]() It may seem strange that the space station suddenly "appears" in the middle of the sky, instead of coming around the horizon.Keep alternating fists to find positions at higher degrees. The point above your second fist is about 20º. If you are looking for 20º, for example, place your fist just above the horizon, then place your other fist on top of the first. The distance from the horizon to the top of your first is roughly 10º. To find rough positions in between these numbers, extend your arm fully in front of you and close your hand into a fist. A position of 0º is at the horizon, 90º is directly above your head, and 45º is exactly in between 0º and 90º. ![]() Astronomers divide the sky into many segments called degrees, so they can refer to a specific position in the sky. The same chart should have a column labeled "altitude," with numbers listed below as "degrees" (or the degree symbol, º). To get a rough idea of how bright the station will be, compare it to these approximate magnitudes : the sun during the day has a magnitude of about -26.7 the moon has magnitude -12.5 and Venus, one of the remaining brightest objects in the sky, has magnitude -4.4.If the night sky is clear and there are few ground lights in your area, you might just be able to see the station. +4 to +6 is dim, approaching the limits of the human eye. ![]() -2 to +4 is usually visible at night, but you may have difficulty seeing it if there are bright city lights in your area.A magnitude of -4 to -2 is the brightest the space station typically gets, and may even be visible during the day.The brightness scale is a little odd: a negative number, such as -4, is actually brighter than a positive number, such as +3! Here are some guidelines to help you understand what brightness ratings may be viewable: X Research source Most charts should list the space station's "brightness" or "magnitude " find another one if yours does not include this information. ![]() Use the chart to narrow these times down to the brightest appearances. ![]()
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