The International Space Station streaks through the sky filled with faint auroras and STEVE. (Image credit: Alan Dyer/Stocktrek Images via Getty Images)

Early risers across North America and Europe may notice something unusual in the skies this Christmas, a bright, silent light, gliding smoothly overhead in the hours before sunrise on Dec. 24 and Dec. 25.

It won't blink like an airplane and it won't leave a trail behind. Instead, it will appear suddenly, move steadily across the sky and fade away just minutes later. To young, eager eyes already awake and brimming with excitement, it might look like something (or someone) making a quiet journey through the dawn sky.

This Christmas, the International Space Station is also perfectly placed to reflect sunlight down to Earth during early-morning passes, making it one of the brightest objects in the sky.

Whether you choose to see it as a seasonal mystery or a space-age marvel, the sight may be brief, but it is beautiful and easy to spot with the naked eye  — so long as you are in the right place at the right time.

In the table below, we have listed some of the best times to look up over major cities, weather permitting — information gathered from AstroViewer.net.

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When to look for the Christmas sky surprise

City

Date

Local time

Duration

Max altitude

New York

Dec. 24

6:43–6:48 a.m. EST

~5 min

19°

New York

Dec. 25

5:56–5:59 a.m. EST

~3 min

16°

Chicago

Dec. 24

5:42–5:45 a.m. CST

~3 min

16°

Chicago

Dec. 25

6:29–6:35 a.m. CST

~6 min

26°

Toronto

Dec. 24

6:42–6:47 a.m. EST

~5 min

25°

Toronto

Dec. 25

7:30–7:35 a.m. EST

~5 min

56°

London

Dec. 24

7:04–7:10 a.m. GMT

~6 min

55°

London

Dec. 25

6:17–6:22 a.m. GMT

~5 min