If the weather conditions allow it, tonight it could be appreciated for its brightness the International Space Station when it passes over Puerto Rico as it orbits the planet.
This was stated today by the Caribbean Astronomical Society in a press release, in which it noted that the space laboratory will appear in the north-northwest between 8:23 p.m. and 8:25 p.m.
“This time, it will be interesting to see it, knowing that the Crew Dragon spacecraft is docked there,” said the Caribbean Astronomical Society (SAC), in written statements.
Regarding the sighting of today, Sunday, the educational entity indicated that the International Space Station will look remarkably bright, but then it will give the impression of “disappearing” in the middle of the sky, when entering the shadow caused by the Earth in relation to the Sun, and stop reflecting sunlight, he explained.
According to the SAC, two or three minutes later, a dimmer object can be seen following a somewhat similar trajectory, but it is the fuselage of a Titan rocket that in 2005 had carried the Lacrosse 5 spy satellite into space.
Crew Dragon, from the company SpaceX, made history last Saturday, May 30, when it took off from Cape Canaveral in Florida. Not only ended a nine-year period of no manned travel from the United States, but became the first privately owned and built spacecraft to bring astronauts to the International Space Station.
The ship, with astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley, docked automatically at the Station on Sunday morning.
Once the hatch was opened, they joined astronaut Christopher Cassidy (from NASA), and Russian cosmonauts Ivan Vagner and Anatoly Ivanishin, who were already aboard the space laboratory.
“There is still a very important part of the mission: to return to Earth aboard the Crew Dragon ship, which will parachute over the sea, with two astronauts on board,” said the SAC.
The date for return to Earth has not yet been determined. Astronauts Behnken and Hurley are anticipated to remain on the International Space Station for one to four months.
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