International Space Station crosses Salt Lake City skies tonight

IN SPACE – MAY 29: In this handout provided by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), back dropped by planet Earth the International Space Station (ISS) is seen from NASA space shuttle Endeavour after the station and shuttle began their post-undocking relative separation May 29, 2011 in space. After 20 years, 25 missions and more than 115 million miles in space, NASA space shuttle Endeavour is on the last leg of its final flight to the International Space Station before being retired and donated to the California Science Center in Los Angeles. Capt. Mark E. Kelly, U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords’ (D-AZ) husband, has lead mission STS-134 as it delivered the Express Logistics Carrier-3 (ELC-3) and the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS-2) to the International Space Station. (Photo by NASA via Getty Images)

by: Kiah Armstrong

Posted: Jan 19, 2022 / 03:57 PM MST

Updated: Jan 19, 2022 / 04:06 PM MST

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) – The International Space Station (ISS) will be visible to the naked eye Wednesday night for those who live in or close to Salt Lake City.

According to NASA, The sighting opportunity will begin at 6:44 p.m. and the Space Station will be visible for five minutes before crossing back below the horizon.

Being able to see the space station with the naked eye relies on the maximum height the ISS will reach while hovering over a city.

Wednesday, the ISS will reach a height of 78 degrees in elevation. This will give residents of Salt Lake the best opportunity for seeing the station because it will visible above most landscapes and buildings.

All sightings of the ISS occur within a few hours before or after sunrise or sunset. This is the optimum viewing period as the sun reflects off the space station and contrasts against the darker sky, according to NASA.

NASA has its own website where people can track the space station and see if it’s in the city their living in.

For those interested in tracking the space station, signing up for email or text alerts for when the space station is flying over will save you from missing a viewing opportunity again.