Benidorm fan favourite Jake Canuso, who memorably played ladies' man Mateo Castellanos in the hit ITV comedy, has revealed an extraordinary celestial secret that's capturing the imagination of stargazers across Britain.
The actor, now 54, recently made a stunning discovery while looking up at the night sky - and it's something anyone can witness without expensive equipment.
The Night Sky Revelation
"I was outside and I saw this bright light moving across the sky," Canuso explained with palpable excitement. "At first I thought it was an aeroplane, but then I realised it was moving too steadily, too perfectly."
What the television star had spotted was none other than the International Space Station (ISS), orbiting 250 miles above Earth at a breathtaking 17,500 miles per hour.
How You Can Become a Space Spotter
The incredible truth is that the space station is visible to the naked eye from your own backyard, appearing as a remarkably bright, fast-moving star that doesn't twinkle.
"It's absolutely mind-blowing when you think about it," Canuso marvels. "There are astronauts living up there, conducting experiments, and we can actually see them passing overhead."
For those eager to witness this cosmic spectacle themselves, here's what you need to know:
- The ISS is the third brightest object in the night sky after the Moon and Venus
- It's visible at dawn and dusk when the station is sunlit but the ground is dark
- No telescopes or binoculars are required - just your eyes
- NASA's website and various smartphone apps can alert you to visible passes in your area
From Spanish Resorts to Cosmic Wonders
Since his Benidorm days ended in 2018, Canuso has embraced new passions beyond acting. His space station discovery has ignited a fresh enthusiasm for astronomy that he's eager to share with fans.
"People think you need all this fancy equipment to enjoy space, but you really don't," he insists. "The fact that we can see this incredible human achievement with our own eyes is just magical."
The actor, who became a household name during Benidorm's eleven-series run, believes there's something profoundly unifying about looking up at the same orbiting laboratory, regardless of where you are in the world.
As Canuso prepares for his upcoming panto season in Cinderella, he continues to champion the wonders of amateur astronomy, proving that sometimes the most extraordinary discoveries are right above our heads, waiting to be noticed.
