If you are fascinated by images of the earth as taken from the International Space Station and various satellites, you may enjoy watching the live feed from the ISS. It is now available online as described by Space magazine at https://www.space.com/astronomy/earth/live-4k-video-from-space-see-earth-from-the-iss-with-sharp-eyed-sen-cameras. Keep in mind that since over 70% of the earth’s surface is water you are likely to spend a lot of time watching clouds over a blue ocean, but you may sometimes see land as well. Tonight the ISS is flying over the South Pacific, so no wonder there is not much land visible.
If you are interested in watching the space station fly by overhead, you may already be using the “Spot the Station” email service to send notices when the ISS is scheduled to fly over you at a favorable time of day. I received a notice today that they are discontinuing this service and switching to a mobile app instead. Here is what they said:
Want to see the International Space Station as it passes over your location? Download NASA’s official Spot the Station mobile app, available on iOS and Android mobile and tablet devices, to find viewing opportunities in your local area and receive notifications when the orbiting platform will be visible. The new mobile app expands notification of viewing opportunities in the United States and across the globe, as well as provides additional capabilities to improve user experience.
Beginning on June 12, 2025, users subscribed through the Spot the Station website will no longer receive email or text notifications. Additionally, the ability to find sighting opportunities near you will also no longer be available on the website.
Users are encouraged to transition to our Spot the Station mobile app, here are a few reasons to download:
Station Resources: You can keep up with the latest International Space Station science and research that’s happening aboard the orbiting lab with the resources page that links directly to the daily space station blog.
Push Notifications: You can still receive International Space Station viewing notifications directly to your mobile device based on your exact location.
Augmented Reality: With the power of the augmented reality interface, the app’s built-in compass shows you where the space station is relative to you – which makes it easier to locate the station when passing overhead.
