Photo: NASA

By Laura Durenberger-Grunow - Boreal Community Media - July 9, 2025

The International Space Station (ISS) is scheduled to pass over Cook County and Grand Portage, Minnesota, on July 9 at 10:46 p.m. If skies are clear, community members and visitors will have the opportunity to view the space station, thanks to its visibility due to sunlight reflecting off the surfaces.

When visible, the ISS appears as a bright, non-blinking object moving across the sky. Its appearance can be compared to that of a bright star or an aircraft, although it does not exhibit flashing lights and maintains a consistent line. The station's velocity is approximately 17,500 mph (28,000 kph), resulting in a visible rate of movement.

For those out looking tonight, the ISS will not pass directly overhead; instead, it will be visible at varying elevations above the horizon.