Space station visible over city

BANGKOK: -- People will get a rare glimpse of the International Space Station (ISS) in the sky over Thailand during the next few days, according to the Thai Astronomical Society.

The space station will appear for only five minutes between 6pm and 7pm from today until Dec 12.

``It looks like a shining star but much brighter and it is moving,'' said astronomer Pornchai Amornsrijirathorn. ``You can see it with the naked eye from almost every province. The clearest sighting will be on Dec 3 [today] and Dec 5.''

Launched into space in 1999, the ISS is a global cooperative programme involving Canada, Europe, Japan, Europe, Russia and the United States.

The space platform, expected to be in fully operational next year, is the largest manned object ever put into space. It provides facilities for up to seven astronauts and researchers.

At 39m high, 88m wide and 108m long, the ISS is equivalent to two Boeing 747s. Stationed 386km above Earth, it takes one-and-a-half hours to orbit the planet.

At 6.55pm today it will appear at 10 degrees northwest in the Bangkok sky, moving to the southeast horizon where it will drop from sight at 7.01pm.

-- Bangkok Post 2004-12-03

You can track it's location by going to http://science.nasa.gov/temp/StationLoc.html so you will know the exact time to go out and look at the sky.

According to the newspaper report (Bangkok Post), the best time to look was today or the 5th at 1800. I looked and saw nothing!

You can track it's location by going to http://science.nasa.gov/temp/StationLoc.html so you will know the exact time to go out and look at the sky.

It looks stuck over south America at the moment,by that map.

If its a NON flashing fast moving light then i've just watched it here at 658pm

According to the newspaper report (Bangkok Post), the best time to look was today or the 5th at 1800. I looked and saw nothing!

I saw it at approximately 1845 hrs last night. As for the web site; it refreshes every 1 minute or you can do so manually. once over Thailand go outside and you will definitely see it, usually heading from north to south.

if viewing near the Bkk airport wear a hard hat