Opinion

Be alert to space station's travels

Summer vacations are winding down, so let's take some time to view a few International Space Station passes before the back-to-school routine kicks in and we have to think about homework with the kids.

Our first space station pass arrives at 9:33 p.m. Sunday.

It will be very bright and easy to find as it rises above the southwestern horizon as a slow-moving speck of silver light.

The station will pass just above Saturn in the southwest at 9:35 p.m. and then fly nearly overhead. At 9:41 p.m., it will fade from view low in the northeast.

Occasionally the space station will have an orbital boost to avoid collisions with space debris or for docking with a supply vehicle, and the times can be off, but you can always double-check the pass times at heavens-above.com.

If you want to go a step further, it's easy to receive an email or text alerts directly from NASA. Just go to spotthe station.nasa.gov and follow the instructions. This is a fun way to get alerts and will definitely elevate you to alpha geek status among your friends.

A Progress supply ship was launched and then docked with the space station last week to deliver supplies plus a repair kit for a malfunctioning spacesuit. It's sew to go!

A repeat flyover will occur the next morning at 5:42 a.m. in the northwestern sky. The pass will be bright and quite the wakeup for Monday morning. It will continue its trek across the sky and vanish from sight in the southeast at 5:50 a.m. You'll notice Jupiter bright and shiny in the east with dimmer Mars and Mercury below it.

The trio of planets form a loose belt across the waistline of the Gemini twins, so it's a neat sight and should get you revved up for whatever Monday has in store.

An encore show happens Monday night.

The drama begins at 8:45 p.m. in the southwest. This time the path goes through the head of Scorpius and meanders up through part of the Milky Way. The pass ends in the northeast at 8:52 p.m.

This pass will be extra nice if you happen to be viewing from a dark rural site that has little or no light pollution.

While you are out each evening, take note of Venus shining like a disco ball in the west. The glittering shimmer of Venus is a result of atmospheric turbulence that scatters and bends the light into a brilliant display of color.