International Space Station rises high in May sky

May is the month of graduation and with it the school holiday season is about to end. If you're out this weekend coming to show the sky to the public, keep an eye on one of the best celestial sites that you habit see the eyepiece, because we are waiting for a multitude of good visible passages from the International Space Station around the world.

Welcome to the beginning of what NASA calls "high season beta", a period when the station enters a period of full enlightenment throughout its orbit. This fortuitous circumstance results directly from the orbit of the station, inclined 51.6 degrees with respect to the terrestrial equator. The station was deliberately placed in this orbit in order to make it accessible to international partners around the world. This also makes the station visible to over 99% of humanity, from 60 degrees north latitude to 60 degrees south latitude.

The complete illumination of the ISS occurs near each solstice, with the northern hemisphere favoring multiple shiny passages every evening and the month of December favoring the south. This week, the International Space Station leaves the shadow of the Earth on May 17th.^th at 6:42 pm in UT / 2:42 pm (Eastern Time) and does not hit the Earth's shadow for a brief moment on May 20^th at 17:55 UT / 13:55 EDT. The passages over Central Asia are also favorable to another unique event: see the ISS enter, then exit the shadow of the Earth by the same pass.

It's also about as early as a high beta season can occur, more than a month before June 21st.^st solstice. On this date, the North's pole of rotation of the Earth moves furthest towards the Sun and the orbit of the station. Viewers from the United Kingdom, southern Canada and the northern United States, between 45 and 55 degrees north latitude, can expect to see several illuminated passages of the International Space Station in one night.

One of our friends (@OzoneVibe on Twitter) suggested that this phenomenon be known as the FISSION, as four / five international space stations spend one night. Can you complete a FISSION in one marathon session?

The high angle beta season is a special time for NASA and the resort. During this period, NASA "feathered" the station's huge solar panels, in order to create an artificial shadow and prevent overheating of key areas. Most external operations, such as scheduled extravehicular activities (EVA) and arrivals and departures from the station are also avoided if possible by this time.

When will the next ISS pass near you? A multitude of applications and websites exist to track the station and other satellites; our favorite goes to the old watch, Heavens-Above. Moving at 27,600 km / h and averaging 400 km above the Earth's surface, the station takes a little over 92 minutes to turn around the Earth.

Observing the station is as easy as looking at the time and waiting. The station will appear as a bright and mobile 'star'. Unlike planes, the station shines under the effect of sunlight and does not blink, although it can shine brightly when the sun is shining on a solar panel. The station can reach a brilliant magnitude of -5.7 when it passes near the zenith, bright enough to cast a shadow. At 108.5 meters in diameter, the International Space Station is the largest object in orbit ever built. You can even see the structure in binoculars on a good pass. Depending on the orientation of the station, it may look like something from a miniature Star wars Attach the fighter, to a small box, to a double star flattened on a good pass.

You can also create an image of the station by simply performing a long exposure during a passage and letting the ISS follow the field. The most difficult is to image the space station with the help of a telescope. Several dedicated observers use sophisticated tracking and guidance programs to accurately image the ISS. We achieved acceptable results by simply launching a video during a pass, aiming at approximately the 'scope' and following the ISS, and observing what happens next. Be sure to pre-set your focus and exposure time before the start of the pass. A brilliant planet, a star or a passing plane are excellent targets to train in advance.

Another technique is to aim for the sun or moon and wait for the ISS to come to you. CALSky and Transit Finder are excellent resources for you to know when the next ISS transit through the sun or the moon will take place near you. These events are fast (often less than a second) and often involve a bit of movement to position themselves at the exact spot where they will occur.

At present, six crewmembers are aboard the ISS: three NASA astronauts, two Russian cosmonauts and a Canadian astronaut. The station is continuously occupied since November 2^{North Dakota}That's right: we've had 20 years of continuous human presence in space by the end of next year. A wonderful feat to note when you watch the ISS pass overhead this weekend.