November 8, 2012 1:07 pm The first piece of the International
Space Station, a cargo block named Zarya, went into orbit in
1998. Ever since, the ISS has been steadily picking up pieces,
becoming bigger and more reflective. It is now the second
brightest object in the night sky, bested only by the Moon. As
the orbital platform has grown, it has become easier and easier
to see from the ground. If, that is, you know where to look.
Websites have been around for a while that will let you
calculate when and where to look up to the heavens, but NASA
recently launched a new service that should take pretty much all
of the effort out of it. The agency’s new Spot the Station
program will email or text you when the station is in your area.
And, says NASA, they’ll try not to waste your time. This service
will only notify you of “good” sighting opportunities- that is,
sightings that are high enough in the sky (40 degrees or more)
and last long enough to give you the best view of the orbiting
laboratory. This will be anywhe