International Space Station to cross Jeddah sky tonight, visible for over 6 minutes

The sky over Jeddah will witness a prolonged pass of the International Space Station this evening, Tuesday, lasting 6 minutes and 31 seconds. The station can be seen with the naked eye, even from within the city, provided the skies are clear.

Majed Abu Zahra, president of the Jeddah Astronomy Society, explained that the station will appear above the southwestern horizon at 6:06 p.m. as a bright white point of light moving steadily without flashing, unlike airplanes.

He added that the station will reach its highest point at 6:09 p.m., about 61 degrees above the horizon toward the northwest, shining brightly as one of the most luminous objects in the sky, before gradually descending toward the northeastern horizon and ending its visibility at 6:13 p.m.

He noted that the station is visible after sunset due to its orbital altitude of about 400 kilometers, allowing it to remain illuminated by sunlight reflecting off its structure and solar panels, while observers on the ground are in evening darkness.

He also pointed out that the station orbits Earth at a speed of nearly 28,000 kilometers per hour, completing a full orbit every 90 minutes, which enables its crew to witness around 16 sunrises and sunsets each day.

Abu Zahra advised astronomy enthusiasts to use long-exposure photography to capture the station's path as a continuous streak of light across the sky, encouraging observers to start watching from 6:06 p.m.