THERE is good news and bad news this week. The good news? The International Space Station (ISS) is visible in the sky again. The bad news? You have to get up at Ridiculous o'clock in the morning to see it...

'Space station spotting' is now a very popular pastime for watchers of the sky. People often tell me when I give my talks that they enjoy seeing it crossing the heavens above where they live, and look forward to it becoming visible again whenever it vanishes for a while. But I'm also asked by people who have never seen the ISS "Is it worth getting up in the wee small hours to see it?" Well, you have to decide that for yourself, but I've been watching the ISS cross the sky since the first part of it was launched way back in 1998, and I still find it moving and exciting to stand in a park, or my yard, and watch a huge spaceship with people onboard sailing through the starry sky. Now British astronaut Tim Peake is on the ISS seeing it is even more special.

If you want to see the ISS over the next week, you need to go out at the following times on the given dates, face the west and wait. Soon you'll see a 'star' climbing up from the horizon and that's the space station. It won't be flashing or blinking, it will just be shining with a steady light as it starts to arc from west to east (right to left as you look at it). No telescope or binoculars needed, it will be very obvious to your naked eye. Good luck!

March 16: 04.38; 17th: 03.45 and 05.20; 18th: 02.57 and 04.30; 19th: 03.39 and 05.12; 20th: 04.20; 21st: 05.04.