It will be cold and blustery, and partly cloudy skies could interfere. But there will be a very nice flyover by the International Space Station Tuesday evening, visible from the Baltimore region.
Look to the west-southwest at about 7:29 p.m. for a bright, steady, star-like light, moving briskly toward the north-northeast. At 7:32 p.m., it will be 54 degrees above the northwestern horizon - more than halfway up the sky. A minute later, at 7:33 p.m., it will disappear in the north-northeast as it passes into the Earth's shadow.
The space station is currently manned by a two-man crew. Astronaut Leroy Chiao, 44, the commander, and cosmonaut Salizhan Sharipov, 40, flight engineer, have been aboard for nearly 145 days. Their craft is currently flying at 17,225 mph, about 225 miles above the Earth's surface.
Times and directions can vary considerably with the viewer's location. For regular flyover predictions for your community, go to www.heavens-above.com You can track the station, and other key satellites here.
If you miss this pass, there will be another almost as good on Thursday evening beginning at 6:49 p.m. in the west-southwest. Check Heavens Above for details for your location.