The European Space Agency's Solar Orbiter spacecraft passes above Earth tonight (Nov. 26) and might be visible from parts of the U.S.

The spacecraft, which will have to fly through areas of Earth's orbit with the highest concentration of space debris, will get as close as 285 miles (460 kilometers) from Earth's surface during the flyby.

Related: Solar Orbiter spacecraft sends postcard from Venus in flyby video.

The company has called on amateur astronomers in a statement, asking them to use their telescopes to track Solar Orbiter during the flyby to "help ESA confirm Solar Orbiter's position, determine its brightness, and check the health of the spacecraft".

— The Solar Orbiter is watching a new sun weather cycle begin!

This Earth flyby will give Solar Orbiter the final kick before its next close approach to the sun, which will take place in March of next year.

For the first time, Solar Orbiter will get to its target distance from the sun's surface, about 34 million miles (50 million km).

During its first close approach to the sun, which took place in June 2020 at a distance of 48 million miles (77 million km), Solar Orbiter discovered miniature solar flares dubbed campfires on the surface of the sun.

She later took a career break to pursue further education and added a Master's in Science from the International Space University, France, to her Bachelor's in Journalism and Master's in Cultural Anthropology from Prague's Charles University. She worked as a reporter at the Engineering and Technology magazine, freelanced for a range of publications including Live Science, Space.com, Professional Engineering, Via Satellite and Space News and served as a maternity cover science editor at the European Space Agency