Look Up At 8:46 p.m. Sunday: It's The International Space Station!

Hey, Los Altos sky-watchers, the International Space Station has shifted to nighttime viewing.

After some brief one- and two-minute appearance in the pre-dawn hours, the space station will be conveniently visible for six minutes, about an hour and 20 minutes after sunset. Take a peek outside in the evening hours and get a rewarded with a chance to spy the station with the help of binoculars.

The Peninsula Astronomical Society alerted members on its Facebook Page calling the viewing an "AWESOME straight-overhead pass," and reminded readers to wave at the crew members.

Space buffs know this, and there are a lot in this valley, with NASA Ames just down the road. No special equipment is needed, and, in fact, says Starry Skies Network, which has these viewing tips, a telescope would be an impediment. NASA's Glenn Research Center posts these tips.

Look up at 8:46 p.m. It should be visible for six minutes, appearing in the Southwest sky, and disappearing in the Northeast. As the third-brightest object in the sky, NASA promises it is easy to see, if you know where to look. 

So here's where that is. NASA has supplied the following information via "Spot the Shuttle:"

Time: Sun Apr 07 8:46 PM, Visible: 6 min, Max Height: 81 degrees, Appears: SW, Disappears: NE

Universe Today has a great beginners' guide to viewing, which explains why you see the station at different times and orientations, and how viewings occur roughly every six weeks.

Who's up there? According to NASA's Space Station site, Expedition 35 currently consists of Commander Chris Hadfield (U.S.A.) Flight Engineer Tom Washburn (U.S.A.), Flight Engineer Roman Romanenko (Russia), Flight Engineer Chris Cassidy (U.S.A.), Flight Engineer Alexander Mizurkin (Russia), and Flight Engineer Pavel Vinogradov (Russia). 

Since Earth Day is in April, the crew (which, has the best views of Earth, indeed) Earth Observations team is sharing its "Top Pics" of the week of our favorite small blue orb. We're showing Commander Haddfield's pick of Ascension Island, which was visited by Darwin's H.M.S. Beagle. They are also sharing the shuttle's 'Night to Day to Night" time-lapse video, of two-and-a half orbits around the Earth, which NASA says has become its most popular on YouTube.

If you want alerts of when the space station will be orbiting overhead, sign up for alerts at NASA's "Spot The Station" site.