Track the Space Station

I really love the International Space Station (ISS).  Living in the city, it’s hard to get a chance to see it in the night sky for a few reasons.  City light tends to drown out dimmer objects, so later at night it’s impossible to see when passing over head.  Just after dusk or before sunrise would be the best times since the space station is in the sun and you are not.  This is not always the case, there are a few times a year when the ISS is in the sun during each pass throughout the night.  When the ISS is in the sun, it is very bright due to all of its solar panels.

I just came across a great website that allows you to track satellites and see exactly where they are at any given time.  As I right this, the space station just finished passing over Australia and is approaching the southern tip of New Zealand.  The great thing about the tracker is that it ties into Google Maps, so you can see satellite imagery of the ground.  There is also a Google gadget so you can add it to your iGoogle page if you so wish.