Why are visible passes for Tiangong generally restricted to a few hours just after sunset or just before sunrise?
Answer
This is when the station is still catching the sun's light while the observer is in darkness
The ability to visually spot Tiangong depends entirely on the interplay between sunlight and the observer's location on Earth. The station must be illuminated by the sun to be bright enough to see against the dark backdrop of space. However, for the observer on the ground, it must be dark enough for the station's light to be noticeable—this condition is met during the brief windows immediately following sunset or preceding sunrise. Once the station passes into the Earth’s shadow, it rapidly becomes too dim to track effectively with the unaided eye.
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