UPDATE: Due to bad weather, the launch has been postponed until the weekend
If you look to the skies above Scotland tonight, you may be in for a treat.
A rocket carrying astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) is set to blast off from Cape Canaveral in Florida this evening, and could be visible in the sky as it passes over the UK.
According to Meteor Watch, the craft may be visible overhead around 15 minutes after its launch at 9:33pm UK time.
It may be a little cloudy depending on where you are, but the rocket should appear as a bright dot of light travelling quickly across the sky.
Tonight’s launch is set to make history as the first commercial launch of astronauts by a private company.
© AP Photo/David J. PhillipSpaceX Crew Dragon Demo-2 will take Nasa’s Doug Hurley, who piloted the last space shuttle mission, and Bob Behnken to the ISS as the space agency begins to contract out operations to the commercial sector.
Elon Musk’s SpaceX have regularly launched satellites into orbit, but this will be the first time they take humans above the atmosphere.
© NASA/Kim SNASA/Kim Shiflett/PA Wirehiflett/PA WireThe launch into orbit should take just under nine minutes, with the capsule eventually docking with the ISS on Thursday at around 4:29pm UK time.
The men will spend up to four months working on the space station.
The launch will be streamed live online.
Skygazers have already been treated to some interesting sights over the past few days, with the ISS passing over the UK with intense brightness.
Tonight, look above at 11pm to see the space station travel across from the west.
For a list of times you can see the ISS, visit meteorwatch.org/iss-international-space-station-times-uk-may-2020
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