Irish space enthusiasts are in for a treat for the next few days as a stunning star-like object will blaze across Irish skies from tonight at 9:09 pm on the dot.
Astronomy Ireland says this beautiful site in the night sky will be the €100 billion International Space Station with 10 astronauts on board whizzing by.
The ISS is a huge laboratory in space carrying out experiments that can only be done in weightlessness, for example developing new drugs and exotic high technology materials.
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The astronauts also monitor the effects of long-term weightlessness on their bodies which will be important for the upcoming manned missions to Mars.
Speaking about the upcoming sighting, David Moore, Editor of Astronomy Ireland magazine, who issues predictions every time ISS is visible in Irish skies, said: "It is an incredible sight to see the International Space Station blazing across Irish skies so we are urging everyone in Ireland to go out and watch this amazing spectacle.
“The ISS is making space history rather like Columbus did when he set sail for the Americas. ISS is mankind's first outpost in space.
“It's 10 to 100 times brighter than the brightest star in the sky so it is plainly, indeed spectacularly, visible to the naked eye.”
The International Space Station will be blazing across the sky for the next few days, until October 4, according to experts and will look like an extremely bright star for the couple of minutes it takes to cross the sky.
"It can be up to 100 times brighter than the brightest star in the sky so it is extremely easy to see, even from the centre of brightly lit cities!" said Mr. Moore.
If you’re hoping to catch a glimpse, the times to see the ISS will be posted across Astronomy Ireland's social media every afternoon before sunset.
The ISS travels at 17,000miles(28,000km) per hour and it is 250miles (400km) above us as it orbits the Earth every 90minutes meaning that it goes round the Earth 16 times a day.
The giant solar panels are wider than the wingspan of a jumbo jet and it is their huge size that gives ISS its spectacular brightness.
The first module was launched in 1998 and the space station has been manned continuously since 2000, usually by crews of 6 astronauts who do tours of duty 6 months long.
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