See the space station tonight

[Morris Jones]

There is an excellent pass of the International Space Station tonight 
visible from the Los Angeles area.

The station will first be visible low in the northwest (to the right of 
where the sun set) at about 8:44 p.m.  By 8:46 it will reach its maximum 
visible altitude of 58 degrees, and will fly past Mars, Saturn, and the 
first quarter moon, in that order.  By 8:50 it will disappear in the 
southeast entering earth's shadow.

The station is so bright now with its added modules and solar arrays, it 
will be the brightest thing in the sky besides the moon.  Space shuttle 
Discovery is currently docked to the station, and it's fun to keep in 
mind that there are ten astronauts on that bright moving star as it 
passes overhead.

For predictions based on your own location, visit 
http://www.heavens-above.com

The station has no lighting of its own.  The brightness is sunlight 
reflected off the station.  If you're following an object with red or 
blinking lights, that's not the space station.

Cheers,
Mojo
-- 
Morris Jones
http://www.whiteoaks.com
Old Town Sidewalk Astronomers http://www.otastro.org
http://twitter.com/mojo_la