The International Space Station (ISS) is easy to spot with the naked eye if you know when and where to look. A new notification service on Twitter will tell you exactly when to go out and look up.
As with many data services and applications (or apps, as developers call them) these days, this one was created by a couple guys who were interested in the topic.
There are other online sites that provide spotting information. What's new is to get the notifications through Twitter, a social network site that's turning out to be much more.
The service "basically is an app," Schilling told SPACE.com. "Twitter is such a great platform for an app like @twisst, because people can be sent information on a very personal level. And the Twitter users choose who they want to follow and what information they want to receive."
The orbiting outpost constantly passes over different parts of the planet as it circles Earth every 90 minutes or so. It flies at an average altitude of 216 miles (348 km) and speeds along at 17,200 mph (27,700 kph). It is about as big as a football field and has highly reflective solar panels. It's the reflection of sunlight that makes it visible from Earth.
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Editor's Note: This article was updated at 10::12 a.m. ET 6/27 to include a comment from Schilling about the service being an app.
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