The International Space Station visible in our sky March 13-16 (update 3)

The International Space Station (ISS) has a series of evening passes and will be visible in our sky starting Friday March 13 for southern and central Arizona. ISS will appear brightest on March, 13, 14 and 15 and will appear as a bright, moving white star like object. Look:

• Friday March 13 when the station should be first visible at 7:31 p.m. in the south and pass for a few brief minutes clear across the southern half of the sky.
• On Saturday March 14, around 7:58 p.m., when the station should be first visible in the west, moving toward the northern sky.
• On Sunday March 15, around 6:58 p.m., when the station should be first visible in the south and pass for a few brief minutes clear across the southern half of the sky (Sunday’s pass should be very similar to Friday’s).
• On Monday March 16, around 7:18 p.m., when the station should be first visible in the west (above Venus) and pass for a few brief minutes clear across the northwestern sky (highest at 7:19 p.m., 27 degrees in altitude).

Space Shuttle Discovery will not be visible trailing ISS on Monday from Arizona, as it currently is too far from ISS in orbit. This may be the last evening visibility of ISS until March 31.

These times may change slightly due to mission changes (large changes unlikely at this time) and are most valid for areas of southern and south-central Arizona near the Tucson and Phoenix metro areas. Observers should look within a few minutes of times given here. Go to heavens-above.com for updated pass data and to find out if the space station is visible other areas of the United States and world. Heavens-above.com and many other astronomy and space related Web links may be found on the Flandrau Astronomy Links Web page.