ISS enthralls Chennaites

Chennai, Jun 4 (UNI) Star gazers and astronomers today caught a glimpse of the International Space Station (ISS) in the city tonight.

Tamil Nadu Science and Technology Centre executive director P Iyam Perumal told UNI that ISS was seen at 19.14 hrs for five minutes from a maximum elevation of 81 degrees in the city as the setting sun had thrown light on its solar board and thus reflecting it.

''The ISS has a larger solar board, which can be seen as a bright object to the naked eye. To spot it, a person can look directly up and turn towards the 81 degrees angle in the south-west direction'', he added.

According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) website, the ISS will be visible to Chennaites several times over the week, but today (Monday) would be a good opportunity for astronomers and aspiring- astronauts to catch a glimpse of the station whose astronauts, including Sunita Williams, completed a space walk recently and are due for another one on June 6.

UNI