Two Space Stations to Shine Over China This Holiday

Skywatchers across China will have a rare chance to observe both of the world’s large crewed space stations in a single holiday period, as China’s Tiangong station and the multinational International Space Station (ISS) make successive passes overhead during the National Day week, Xinhua News reported.

“Autumn golden, National Day—a gift from the starry sky,” the state news agency wrote in its lead. Illuminated by sunlight, the two stations will appear in turn as bright points of light among the stars, adding what Xinhua described as a distinctive romance to the holiday.

A Rare Pairing in Orbit

Currently, Tiangong and the ISS are the only large crewed space stations operating in orbit. Both reflect sunlight, appearing to observers on the ground as slowly moving, bright white points rather than fixed stars.

Lai Dihui, a member of the Chinese Astronomical Society and a council member of the Tianjin Astronomical Society, said the stations offer strong viewing prospects. The ISS reaches a peak brightness of roughly magnitude -4, while Tiangong peaks at about magnitude -2, Xinhua reported.

According to astrophotographer Wang Junfeng, the stations circle the Earth at high speed and can only be observed clearly under specific timing and favorable conditions. The ideal window is the one to two hours around sunrise and sunset each day, when the station is lit by the Sun while the observer’s sky is dark.

A Morning-and-Evening Relay

During this year’s National Day holiday, conditions favor viewing both stations. In the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, for example, Tiangong appears first in the pre-dawn hours, followed by the ISS in the evening—a relay Xinhua called a “space parade.”

Because transit times vary with latitude, the public can use astronomy mini-programs such as “Tianwentong” to pinpoint their location and check transit forecasts for both stations.

How to Photograph the Passes

Wang noted that capturing the stations is relatively accessible compared with deep-sky astrophotography. When a pass is favorable, the station’s brightness stands out, and it can be recorded with a phone or camera from the city, suburbs, or countryside alike.

For a sharper image, he suggested using a wide-angle lens to leave framing room, fixing the camera or phone on a tripod, and focusing to infinity as in standard astrophotography. Photographers should favor longer exposures to render a smooth station trail while keeping star points from trailing and the overall exposure balanced, setting ISO and aperture according to the local environment.

Why It Matters

The event carries both scientific and symbolic weight. Observing Tiangong during the National Day holiday blends popular science with a sense of national pride, Xinhua noted.

“Tiangong above, the homeland below, universal celebration, shared joy for China,” Lai said. “Observing the Chinese space station during the National Day holiday—feeling the allure of space and grasping the spirit of spaceflight—is a romance under the stars unique to Chinese people.”

Looking Ahead

Tiangong is expected to become the sole large crewed station in orbit after the ISS is scheduled to retire around 2030, a shift that has underscored interest in China’s orbital outpost. Tiangong is also designed to serve as a “space port,” supporting docking and servicing for crewed spacecraft and providing docking, propellant resupply, and maintenance for the planned Xuntian space telescope.

For now, the holiday passes offer a simple invitation: step outside near dawn or dusk, look up, and watch two of humanity’s orbital outposts cross the same sky.