Residents of San Antonio and neighboring regions, look up tonight for a spectacular sight—the International Space Station (ISS) will be making a grand appearance. The space station is set to streak across the clear evening skies, visible to the naked eye as a bright, fast-moving celestial object. It will emerge from the northwest at 7:05 p.m. and reach its peak height of 67 degrees above the horizon before vanishing in the south-southeast sky, according to FOX San Antonio.

For those enthusiastic about the prospects of waving at the astronauts aboard in cool temperatures, the ISS offers an outstanding show. This space laboratory, which zips along at a brisk 17,500mph, reflects sunlight off its massive solar panels, making it visible at almost 250 miles above Earth. Jointly operated by 15 countries, the station has witnessed over 250 visitors from 20 countries since 1998, a testament to international cooperation in space.

If you're keen to catch this celestial event, NASA's Spot the Station offers a detailed timeline. The ISS will be visible from Tuesday, December 5, 2023, through Wednesday, December 20, 2023, with varying maximum heights and times depending on the day. To determine how high the ISS will be in the sky, you can measure with your fist at arm's length; the distance from the horizon to the top of your fist is about 10 degrees. Look for the station to first appear roughly 10 degrees above the northwest horizon and then disappear at 47 degrees above the horizon.

When planning your stargazing, remember that the ISS will light up a sparkling 'star' in motion, particularly easily seen during the early evening hours. With a sighting as close as 90 degrees over the sky for some in the surrounding areas of Uvalde to Del Rio, the opportunity to catch the orbital outpost overhead becomes even more promising.