San Francisco's clear skies to offer stellar view of International Space Station Wednesday night

The International Space Station (ISS) will appear in the San Francisco sky on Sept. 27, 2017. Click through the gallery to see some recent photos taken from the ISS. The International Space Station (ISS) will appear in the San Francisco sky on Sept. 27, 2017. Click through the gallery to see some recent photos taken from the ISS. Photo: SCIEPRO/Getty Images/Science Photo Library RF Photo: SCIEPRO/Getty Images/Science Photo Library RF Image 1 of / 55 Caption Close San Francisco's clear skies to offer stellar view of International Space Station Wednesday night 1 / 55 Back to Gallery

The International Space Station will appear in the San Francisco sky Wednesday night and the clear conditions will offer a prime opportunity to see the research laboratory orbiting Earth.

The station will be visible as a bright star that doesn't blink and moves faster than a typical airplane. It will first appear at 7:49 p.m. in the west-southwest sky and then rise. It will reach its highest point at 7:52 p.m. before disappearing at 7:56 p.m. in the northeastern sky.

"It's not unusual," says Gerald McKeegan, an astronomer at the Chabot Space and Science Center in Oakland. "Sometimes it appears two or three times a week, but tonight is going to be particularly good because it's going to be really clear. It's pretty interesting to watch."

Even in San Francisco, where light pollution drowns out most stars, residents will be able to look up and see the space station.

"This will be bright enough that even though you won't see any stars, you will be able to see this," McKeegan says.

McKeegan says people should also look for Saturn in the southwestern sky and those with telescopes can see globular star clusters and the remnant of a dying star that appears a smoky ring in the sky.

"It's a preview of what's going to happen to our sun in 5 or 6 billion years," he said.

The International Space Station will grace the San Francisco sky on several other nights between now and October 9; get more details on NASA's website Spot the Station.