Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Space
Space
Science
Robert Lea

How to see and track the Tiangong Chinese space station

A large T-shaped space station is seen from above with Earth below it.

Although it's more challenging to observe than the International Space Station (ISS), the Chinese space station, officially known as Tiangong, can be seen from Earth's surface.

Tiangong, which means "Heavenly Palace" in Mandarin ,  appears fainter than the ISS because the Chinese space station, along with its solar panel area, is smaller —  about 20% the size of the ISS, according to Today in the Sky. However, it is still possible to see Tiangong with the naked eye, you just need to know where and when to look. 

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.