SIGHTINGS of the International Space Station over Saddleworth proved brief but welcome respite from box sets and board games during COVID-19 lockdown.
For 14 nights-depending on cloud cover-the ISS could be seen as it flew across the skies, nearly 30 times faster than the average passenger jet.
There were also accompanying shows of satellites for residents who stood on doorsteps and gardens from March 23 to April 5 to watch the spectacle.
The ISS looked like a fast flying plane or a very bright star but it didn’t have flashing lights or change direction.
The space station orbits the Earth every 90 minutes, travelling through 16 sun rises and sunsets in the space of 24 hours.
It is currently occupied by an international crew of three: American astronauts Andrew Morgan and Jessica Meir plus Russian cosmonaut Oleg Skripochka.
The crew’s living and working space is larger than a six-bedroom house and contains a gym and a 360-degree view bay window.
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