This weekend should afford some good opportunities to get a glimpse of the International Space Station as it passes over the Valley.

NASA says there will be four chances to view the space station for a total of seventeen minutes late Saturday and Sunday in the Youngstown area.

Here is the schedule for space station sighting opportunities this weekend.

Sat Sep 17. (6-minute opportunity)

  • Look to the West Southwest about 10 degrees above the horizon at 8:45 p.m. until 8:51 p.m. at 13 degrees above the horizon in the northeast at 8:51 p.m.

Sat Sep 17 (1-minute opportunity)

  • Look to the Northwest about 10 degrees above the horizon at 10:24 p.m. until 10:25 p.m. at 12 degrees above the horizon in the northwest.

Sun Sep 18 (7-minute opportunity)

  • Look to the West Southwest about 10 degrees above the horizon at 7:57 p.m. until 8:03 p.m. at 10 degrees above the horizon in the northeast.

Sun Sep 18 (3-minute opportunity)

  • Look to the West Northwest about 10 degrees above the horizon at 9:25 p.m. until 9:28 p.m. at 18 degrees above the horizon in the north.

All sightings will occur within a few hours before or after sunrise or sunset. This is the optimum viewing period as the sun reflects off the space station and contrasts against the darker sky.

The space station looks like an airplane or a very bright star moving across the sky, except it doesn't have flashing lights or change direction.

It will also be moving considerably faster than a typical airplane. Airplanes generally fly at about 600 miles per hour. The space station flies at 17,500 miles per hour.