 "Over the next few days, the ISS will be visible over various parts of India, giving skywatchers a rare chance to witness the orbiting lab that carries Shubanshu Shukla. Image courtesy: Isro")
Step outside this week and look up, you might just spot a bright dot silently gliding across the sky. It’s not a plane, and definitely not a star, it’s the International Space Station (ISS). And aboard it is Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, proudly representing India in space.
Over the next few days, the ISS will be visible over various parts of the country, giving skywatchers a rare chance to witness the orbiting lab.
While you may not be able to wave and get a wave back, but watching the ISS sail overhead is still a pretty special way to feel connected to India’s growing space journey.
Here’s a quick guide on how you can catch a glimpse of it from right here on Earth.
How to spot an ISS?
The International Space Station is visible from Earth thanks to sunlight reflecting off its surface, similar to how we see the Moon. But unlike the Moon, it doesn’t shine brightly enough to be visible during the day.
Your best chance to spot it is just after sunset or shortly before sunrise, when the sky is dark, but the station is still lit by the sun.
During these twilight hours, it appears as a bright, fast-moving light streaking across the sky, not blinking like an airplane, and definitely not as fast as a shooting star.
On a clear evening, you might be able to watch it travel overhead for about five to seven minutes. But timing is everything.
You won’t need any fancy equipment to see it. No telescopes or binoculars required, just your eyes and a bit of planning. Several apps can help make the experience even easier.
The ISS Detector app shows the station’s exact location in real-time, and Nasa’s Spot the Station app lets you know the next time it’ll pass over your area. It even allows you to set a reminder or alarm for the next sighting time.
When will ISS be visible in India?
According to Nasa’s Spot the Station app, the ISS will be visible from parts of India starting early morning on July 8, at around 4:59 am. It’ll appear again that evening at 7:59 pm, and then once more at 9:38 pm.
On July 9, it will show up around 4:10 am, and again at 8:48 pm.
July 10 brings more chances, the ISS will be visible three times that day: 3:22 am, 4:58 pm, and 9:59 pm.
On July 11, early risers might spot it at 2:34 am and again at 4:09 am.
Finally, on July 12, the ISS will make its last pass over Indian skies, during this cycle, at 7:59 pm.
In Kerala and parts of southern India, visibility may be especially good. For instance, the pass at 7:56 pm on July 6 offered observers nearly six and a half minutes of clear viewing.
If clouds block your view this week, don’t worry, the ISS will make another appearance from July 24 to August 1. However, by then, Shukla may have completed his mission and returned to Earth.
What to know about the ISS & and why Shukla’s journey matters
The International Space Station (ISS) has been orbiting Earth since 1998. It’s an enormous, football-field-sized space lab that travels around the planet at a staggering 28,000 kilometres per hour.
At that speed, the ISS completes one orbit every 90 minutes, giving astronauts onboard the surreal experience of witnessing 16 sunrises and sunsets in a single Earth day.
Built through a collaboration between the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada, the ISS stands as a symbol of international cooperation in science and exploration. Over the years, it has welcomed astronauts from 23 different countries and has supported more than 4,400 scientific experiments across fields like biology, physics, and technology.
Now, it’s home — at least temporarily — to Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, the first Indian Air Force officer to board the ISS. His presence marks a major milestone for India’s space ambitions.
Shukla, a seasoned fighter pilot, was chosen to join the international crew after undergoing intensive training with both Nasa and the Russian space agencies.
During his time on the ISS, he’s contributing to a range of important experiments, from studying how microgravity affects the human body to testing systems for long-duration spaceflight. These studies are crucial to shaping India’s Gaganyaan mission and future plans for sending astronauts to the Moon.
On June 28, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Shukla via video call and expressed the nation’s pride. “Today you are farthest from your motherland, but you are closest to the hearts of Indians,” the PM said.
Shukla also shared a deeply moving thought when asked what it felt like to see Earth from space:
“From space, you don’t see any borders. The Earth looks united. Bharat looks grand.”
With input from agencies