COLUMBIA, S.C. — There is a lot to view in the night sky this week and thankfully our weather will (for the most part) cooperate. This week will mainly feature passes of the International Space Station which will be easily visible across the Midlands.
The best pass will be occurring Thursday morning right at 6 AM but if you miss that one there will be passes on Friday at 5:49 AM, Saturday at 6:31 AM, and Sunday at 5:15 AM.
When looking for the Space Station look for a bright and fast-moving light across the night sky. You'll be able to distinguish it from stars and planes because it does not blink or twinkle.
If you don't feel like getting up early in the morning, we have some neat things to see in the evening hours during some of the days of the week. January 5th and 6th will feature a crescent moon near Jupiter and Saturn in the western sky right after sunset. It should be fairly visible given good weather conditions.
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If you are looking for a constellation to view this week, an easy one to find is Gemini, which is also known as "The Twins". This constellation will rise at night out of the eastern sky next to Orion and features the two stars Castor and Pollux.
So, with all of that being said, what will the weather be like for viewing this week? Well, it is a mixed bag. While most of the ISS passes should be visible, I would try to avoid Thursday night and Sunday night to do some stargazing due to clouds and the chance of rain. Other than that, outside of some chilly nights, things are looking great here across the Midlands!
