International Space Station visible passes in September

Local nightsky gazers will be able to spot the ISS as it glides over the UK from September 19.

The manned space station is usually visible in the evenings over a two-week period roughly every month.

On Sunday night, you should see it streaking across the sky at around 8.12pm, approaching from south south-west.

The following night, Monday 20, it will be visible at 7.54pm from south west.

The space station always appears from the south westerly direction and goes east. It glides in a straight line and is very bright, which is how you can tell it is the space station as opposed to an aeroplane.

The passes usually last about four minutes.

The passes will continue to be incredibly bright over the week - weather and in particular cloud cover permitting – and will be between 8pm and 9pm.

On Tuesday it will appear around 8.44pm, Wednesday around 7.57pm, Thursday 8.46pm and Friday, 8pm.

Watching the ISS fly over is a great way of getting youngsters interested in the night sky. On a clear evening you can point out the spaceship as it flies past star constellations and planets visible to the naked eye.

If you get a picture of the ISS as it flies overhead email it to geraldine.gardner@newburynews.co.uk