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How to Locate the ISS

NASA has made tracking the International Space Station into something interactive. Because it is always in orbit, you can find information on not only its current status, but on its past status and future status. Through NASA's Web site, you are able to see where the space station is and when you will be able to see it with your own eyes. The Web site also includes crew information, how fast it is traveling and even its altitude.

Instructions

- 1
  Go to the International Space Station tracking Web site (see Resources section). This will take you to a map of the space station's location, where it has been and where it will be in the future. The blue lines on the map indicate the space station's path.
- 2
  Look the the bottom right hand side of the map and you will see a "Zoom" feature. Click the plus sign with your mouse to zoom in further on the space station and its exact location. Click the minus sign to zoom back out.
- 3
  Read the Latitude and Longitude coordinates in the thin panel directly under the map. These will give you the exact location of the space station.
- 4
  Type in these coordinates into a map program like Google maps or Mapquest. Type in the latitude exactly as it is written on the space station Web site. Leave a space and type in the longitude exactly as it is written on the space station Web site. Click "Search Maps" for Google Maps or "Get Map" for Mapquest to give you a pinpoint location on a map.

Astronomy