Clear skies and a waning moon have created perfect conditions to spot the International Space Station as it passes over Maitland this week.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The space station will be visible over Maitland on Wednesday and Thursday evenings and will be clearest at dusk.
"I think it is the top technology in the world," resident astronomer Col Maybury said.
"You're watching something that weighs four to five hundred tonnes pass over your head.
"It will be marvellous."
The space station orbits the Earth every 90 minutes as it collects data from around the globe.
It is longer than a rugby union field and has an international crew of six people who live and work onboard.
"If you pick the right time you will see a brilliant star, brighter than any other in the sky and that is the space station," Mr Maybury said.
"It rivals Venus in brightness.
"We have good conditions and the moon is going away so you should be able to see it very well in the evenings."
Residents do not need a telescope to spot the station, because it is travelling so fast it is easier to snatch a glimpse with the naked-eye.
"I had a wonderful experience one time when a friend called me from Comet in Queensland to tell me he could see the space station," he said.
"About half a minute later, directly in the north I could see it pass by and I was still on the phone with my friend."
The station is due to cross over Maitland on Wednesday between 5.32pm and 5.38pm.
It will be visible on Thursday between 6.16pm and 6.20pm.
Head to nasa.gov or heavens-above.com to access the exact co-ordinates for where the station will appear from your viewing location.
