Early risers throughout North America and Europe could discover one thing uncommon within the skies this Christmas, a vivid, silent gentle, gliding easily overhead within the hours earlier than dawn on Dec. 24 and Dec. 25.
It will not blink like an airplane and it will not go away a path behind. As a substitute, it should seem all of a sudden, transfer steadily throughout the sky and fade away simply minutes later. To younger, keen eyes already awake and brimming with pleasure, it’d seem like one thing (or somebody) making a quiet journey by the daybreak sky.
This Christmas, the International Space Station is also perfectly placed to reflect sunlight down to Earth during early-morning passes, making it one of the brightest objects in the sky.
Whether you choose to see it as a seasonal mystery or a space-age marvel, the sight may be brief, but it is beautiful and easy to spot with the naked eye — so long as you are in the right place at the right time.
In the table below, we have listed some of the best times to look up over major cities, weather permitting — information gathered from AstroViewer.net.
Metropolis | Date | Native time | Period | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|---|
New York | Dec. 24 | 6:43–6:48 a.m. EST | ~5 min | 19° |
New York | Dec. 25 | 5:56–5:59 a.m. EST | ~3 min | 16° |
Chicago | Dec. 24 | 5:42–5:45 a.m. CST | ~3 min | 16° |
Chicago | Dec. 25 | 6:29–6:35 a.m. CST | ~6 min | 26° |
Toronto | Dec. 24 | 6:42–6:47 a.m. EST | ~5 min | 25° |
Toronto | Dec. 25 | 7:30–7:35 a.m. EST | ~5 min | 56° |
London | Dec. 24 | 7:04–7:10 a.m. GMT | ~6 min | 55° |
London | Dec. 25 | 6:17–6:22 a.m. GMT | ~5 min | 70° |
Rome | Dec. 25 | 7:19–7:22 a.m. CET | ~3 min | 35° |
To see the flyby, head exterior with a transparent view of the sky. You do not want binoculars or a telescope to identify it, simply your eyes and somewhat endurance.
The brilliant gentle comes from the Worldwide Area Station. It shines when daylight displays off the massive construction whereas it orbits Earth each 90 minutes.
For individuals who wish to test future sightings, or quietly affirm what they’ve seen, NASA’s Spot the Station service exhibits when the area station will move overhead from any location.
