![\"Aurora](\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/iss030e110900_lrg.jpg?w=1041\")
<\/a><\/figure>Why is the space station up there?<\/strong><\/p>\n The space station is Earth\u2019s only microgravity laboratory. This football field-sized platform hosts a plethora of science and technology experiments that are continuously being conducted by crew members, or are automated. Research aboard the orbiting laboratory holds benefits for life back on Earth, as well as for future space exploration. The space station serves as a testbed for technologies and allows us to study the impacts of long-term spaceflight to humans, supporting NASA\u2019s mission to push human presence farther into space. Learn more about the research happening on the space station, and opportunities to conduct your science there.<\/p>\n The sighting opportunity schedule indicates that the space station passed over my house last night; I\u2019m signed up for alerts but didn\u2019t get one, why not?<\/strong><\/p>\n You will only receive an alert if the space station will reach a max height of at least 40\u00b0 on flyover. Flyovers reaching at least 40\u00b0 provide the best chance for a sighting opportunity because they are visible above most landscapes and buildings. Check the \u201cMax Height\u201d column of your sighting opportunity schedule for the flyovers that are 40\u00b0 or more.<\/p>\n The flyover schedule indicates the space station is both appearing and disappearing from the same direction, how is that possible? E.g. \u2013 Time: Mon Jul 15 11:57 PM, Visible: 2 min, Max Height: 51\u00b0, Appears: 51\u00b0 above ENE, Disappears: 11\u00b0 above ENE<\/strong><\/p>\n The Spot the Station software rounds off directions to the nearest cardinal and intracardinal directions. This can result in it seeming as though the ISS will be appearing and disappearing in the same direction even though it is traveling across the sky. This typically happens on flyovers with a short window of visibility because the ISS is quickly moving into (or out of) the Earth\u2019s dark shadow where, from our location on the ground, we can\u2019t observe its full pass across the sky.<\/p>\n How often can I expect to see the space station?<\/strong><\/p>\n The space station is visible because it reflects the light of the Sun \u2013 the same reason we can see the Moon. However, unlike the Moon, the space station isn\u2019t bright enough to see during the day. It can only be seen when it is dawn or dusk at your location. As such, it can range from one sighting opportunity a month to several a week, since it has to be both dark where you are, and the space station has to happen to be going overhead.<\/p>\n Why aren\u2019t there any sighting opportunities for my location?<\/strong><\/p>\n It needs to be dark where you are and the space station needs to be overhead in order for you to see it. Since the space station\u2019s orbit takes it all around the globe, it can be passing over you at times when it will not be visible- either in the middle of the day or the middle of the night. The space station must be 40 degrees or more above the horizon for it to be visible. Spot The Station will only send out notifications when you will have an opportunity to see the space station, not every time it will be overhead.<\/p>\n Do I need a telescope to see the space station?<\/strong><\/p>\n No, you can see the space station with your bare eyes, no equipment required.<\/p>\n Can you explain how to identify the space station in the sky? Did I see the space station last night?<\/strong><\/p>\n The space station looks like an airplane or a very bright star moving across the sky, except it doesn\u2019t have flashing lights or change direction. It will also be moving considerably faster than a typical airplane (airplanes generally fly at about 600 miles (965 km) per hour; the space station flies at 17,500 miles (28,000 km) per hour).<\/p>\n Can you explain how to read the alert messages?<\/strong><\/p>\n What does all this sighting information mean?<\/p>\n How fast is the space station travelling?<\/strong><\/p>\n The ISS circles the Earth every 90 minutes. It travels at about 17,500 miles (28,000 km) per hour, which gives the crew 16 sunrises and sunsets every day. In the more than 15 years that people have been living onboard, the Station has circumnavigated the Earth tens of thousands of times. You can see more facts about the ISS on the\u00a0Space Station: Facts and Figures webpage\u00a0<\/a>.<\/p>\n Does the station appear and then disappear because of the light of the Moon?<\/strong><\/p>\n The space station is visible because it is reflecting light from the Sun. This is the same reason that the Moon appears to shine. Even when the Moon hasn\u2019t risen, you\u2019ll still be able to see the space station.<\/p>\n I haven\u2019t received any emails or text messages.<\/strong><\/p>\n If you signed up, entered your registration code and received an on-screen confirmation message then you\u2019re signed up! Chances are the International Space Station just hasn\u2019t passed over your location at dawn or dusk yet. Read the FAQ\u00a0\u201cWhy aren\u2019t there any sighting opportunities for my location\u201d<\/em>\u00a0for more information.<\/p>\n If you signed up with your email address, check your spam folder to see if alert messages are going there. Add\u00a0SpotTheStation@hq.nasa.gov<\/a>\u00a0to your list of allowed senders to prevent alerts from going to spam or junk email.<\/p>\n I haven\u2019t received the code for sign up \/ renewal \/ unsubscribe?<\/strong><\/p>\n If you signed up by email make sure the email containing the code didn\u2019t end up in your spam folder. This email will appear to come from\u00a0noreply@nasa.gov<\/em>.<\/p>\n Add the\u00a0SpotTheStation@hq.nasa.gov<\/a>\u00a0email address to your list of allowed senders.<\/p>\n If it has been more than one hour and you haven\u2019t received the requested code please try the process again and if you\u2019re still have problems, email us at\u00a0SpotTheStation@hq.nasa.gov<\/a>\u00a0for assistance.<\/p>\n What if my city isn\u2019t listed?<\/strong><\/p>\n If your specific city or town isn\u2019t listed, register using the next closest one. The space station is visible for an approximate 50 mile (80 km) radius around each of the listed locations.<\/p>\n When are alerts sent out?<\/strong><\/p>\n Alerts are generally sent about 24 hours before the International Space Station pass. This means you\u2019ll receive the message the night before for a morning pass and the morning of for an evening pass.<\/p>\n If you are not receiving the alerts on time, see related FAQs for an explanation.<\/p>\n Why am I receiving the alerts hours or even days after sightings?<\/strong><\/p>\n Spot The Station alerts are sent out 24 hours before an upcoming space station pass. Unfortunately, some email providers queue messages in an unpredictable way. Adding\u00a0SpotTheStation@hq.nasa.gov<\/a>\u00a0to list of allowed senders or contacts list might help.<\/p>\n You can also obtain a two-week schedule of space station passes from the website. Please see the next FAQ for details.<\/p>\n How can I receive a two-week schedule of upcoming sightings?<\/strong><\/p>\n Visit the\u00a0Sighting Opportunities page<\/a>\u00a0and enter your location to find out when the space station will be passing over you during the next two weeks.<\/p>\n You can bookmark this page or print the schedule for easy access.<\/p>\n Can I register more than one location to the same email address or phone number?<\/strong><\/p>\n Unfortunately, no. Only one location can be registered per email address or mobile phone number. However, if you have multiple email addresses and\/or both an email address and a mobile phone, you can register each of them to receive alerts for different locations.<\/p>\n I am getting errors when I try to register, renew or cancel my alerts.<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cThe email address \/ mobile number you entered is not valid\u201d<\/em>\u00a0\u2013 Make sure you have entered a properly formatted email or SMS address. Mobile phone numbers do not require any formatting, you can simply enter as a string of digits; special characters like parenthesis and dashes are not required.<\/p>\n \u201cThe email address \/ mobile number you provided cannot be found\u201d<\/em>\u00a0\u2013 You are attempting to renew or cancel alerts for an email address or mobile number that does not appear to be registered.<\/p>\n \u201cIt looks like you have already attempted this process but not yet completed it. Please check your email or text messages for an 8-digit code and instructions to complete the process or wait 24-hours and try again.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0\u2013 You will receive this error message if you try to initiate the same request more than three times without entering your 8-digit code to complete the process. Please complete your request now or wait 24-hours and try again.<\/p>\n \u201cThe code you entered is not valid. Please try again.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0\u2013 If you have received this message, verify the correct 8-digit code is entered and that the code is less than 24-hours old. Codes expire after 24-hours at which point a new code will be required.<\/p>\n \u201cYou must cancel your current alert before creating a new one or create a new alert using a different email address or mobile number.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0\u2013 You can only sign up for one alert per email address or mobile number. If you want to change the alert you are receiving you have to\u00a0cancel the existing alert<\/a>\u00a0and sign up for a new one. If you wish to have alerts sent to you for more than one location you can\u00a0sign up<\/a>\u00a0using different email addresses or mobile numbers.<\/p>\n \u201cYou have already completed your sign up \/ renewal \/ cancellation\u201d<\/em>\u00a0\u2013 You will receive this error message if you attempt to enter your 8-digit code more than once. No further action is required.<\/p>\n \u201cYou have exceeded the number of incomplete requests allowed from your IP address. Please wait 24-hours and try again.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0\u2013 To prevent spam, Spot The Station limits the number of incomplete requests allowed from each IP address. Please complete your request now or wait 24-hours and try your request again<\/p>\n If you are receiving other error messages or continue to have trouble,\u00a0please let us know<\/a>.<\/p>\n What time zone is used for alert notifications?<\/strong><\/p>\n All of the Spot The Station information is listed in the local time zone for the selected location. Spot The Station automatically adjusts for Daylight Saving Time.<\/p>\n What email address should I add to my \u201cAllow\/Safe Senders List\u201d so I can make sure my alerts don\u2019t end up in the spam folder?<\/strong><\/p>\n The correct address is\u00a0SpotTheStation@hq.nasa.gov<\/a><\/p>\n How do I change my email address or phone number?<\/strong><\/p>\n In order to update your email address or phone number, you need to\u00a0register<\/a>\u00a0using a different email address or mobile phone number. If you choose, you can cancel your original alert.<\/p>\n I moved, how can I change my location?<\/strong><\/p>\n In order to change your location you need to\u00a0cancel your existing alert<\/a>\u00a0and register again using the new location information.<\/p>\n What is my SMS Address?<\/strong><\/p>\n Your SMS Address is an email address used to send text messages to mobile phones. The format is your 10-digit mobile number followed by the email address of your mobile carrier. For example, an AT&T SMS address would be\u00a012345678910@text.att.net<\/em>. Check with your individual carrier for their format.<\/p>\n Will I get charged for the mobile phone text alerts?<\/strong><\/p>\n Check with your mobile carrier and the service plan you have to find out if you are charged for text messages. NASA\u2019s Spot The Station is not responsible for any charges associated with the alerts.<\/p>\n How will I know when it\u2019s necessary for me to renew my alert registration?<\/strong><\/p>\n Your registration is good for one year. Spot The Station will email you when it is time to renew your registration so you can continue to receive alerts. This is a one-step process; all you need to do is follow the link in the renewal message.<\/p>\n How do I unsubscribe from alerts?<\/strong><\/p>\n You can stop receiving email or mobile phone alerts by\u00a0canceling them here<\/a>. You will be sent an email or text message, simply follow the link provided in that message to complete your request.<\/p>\n Powered by WPeMatico<\/a><\/small><\/p>\n Get The Details…<\/a> Why is the space station up there? The space station is Earth\u2019s only microgravity laboratory. This football field-sized platform hosts a plethora of science and technology experiments that are continuously being conducted by crew members, or are automated. Research aboard the orbiting laboratory holds benefits for life back on Earth, as well as for future [\u2026] Continue reading \n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/astro-horizon.png?w=762\")
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\nMark A. Garcia <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"