IF THESE pesky clouds clear at all this coming week we'll have some gorgeous view of the International Space Station (ISS) drifting through the sky. It's been a while since we saw it so high and bright, so fingers crossed some gaps form in the murk and allow us to see this fascinating and beautiful sight.

If you're one of the many Skywatch readers who uses this column to enjoy watching the ISS you'll already know what you're looking for, what to do and when to do it. If you're an ISS-spotting 'newbie' then this is what you do. Go outside at the times given on the following dates, face the west, and wait for a bright 'star' to start drifting up from beyond the horizon.

February 10: 18.16 and 19.53; February 11: 19.00; February 12: 18.07 and 19.45; February 13: 18.52; February 14: 17.59.

As you watch the ISS will climb higher and higher then begin to arc over to the east (your left). On some nights it will reach very high and shine very brightly, and take two or three minutes to cross the whole sky. On other nights it will be fainter and lower in the sky - every pass is different. But they're all worth watching!

By the way, don't get confused by brilliant Venus which will be in that part of the sky too. It's actually easy to tell the ISS and Venus apart - the ISS moves, Venus hangs motionless in the sky. But do look at Venus while you wait for the ISS to appear, and look out for Mars, fainter and redder, shining just above it to the left.

Stuart Atkinson