See the ISS and Discovery in the morning sky over Europe

Space & Earth science / Space Exploration

Space Shuttle Atlantis docked to the ISS on 19 June 2007 at 02:14 UTC at an estimated altitude of 350 km. This image was captured from a ground telescope. Telescope: 0.64M f/9.6 Ritchey-Chretien at F=12.200mm Copyright Š 2007 Ron Dantowitz & Marek Kozubal

Early tomorrow morning there is a rare opportunity to see the Space Station flying in formation with Space Shuttle Discovery, homeward bound and due to land in Florida tomorrow evening.

Between 06:30 and 06:37 CET the ISS, followed at a distance by Discovery, will fly along a line stretching from Cadiz (Spain), over Barcelona, Marseilles (France), Turin and Milan in northern Italy, toward Austria.

Residents of Paolo Nespoli's home town of Verano Brianza, near Milan, should have a clear view as they wake up. For early risers in Sicily, southern Italy, and Greece, the Station and Shuttle will be visible one orbit or 90 minutes earlier, between 04:59 and 05:03 CET (05:59 and 06:03 Eastern European Time for Greece).

For precise times over your home town, consult 'Heavens Above'.

Discovery and the STS-120 crew undocked from the Space Station at 11:32 CET, 5 November, and are scheduled to touchdown in Florida at 19:02 CET (18:02 UT) on Wednesday 7 November.

Source: ESA

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