Nasa: two astronauts drop a toolbox during a spacewalk around the ISS - how to see it from Earth

Nasa astronauts accidentally dropped their toolbox during a spacewalk around the International Space Station (ISS), and the kit could be visible from Earth.

The two astronauts, Jasmin Moghbeli and Loral O'Hara spent six hours and 42 minutes outside the ISS as they carried out maintenance work but their toolbox, a satchel-sized bag, floated away and is now orbiting the Earth - just a few minutes ahead of the space station.

The kit was even captured on camera after their Japanese colleague Satoshi Furukawa, accidentally photographed the bag while taking a shot of Mount Fuji.

Luckily, Nasa said the tools were not needed for the remainder of the spacewalk, and after analysing the bag's trajectory, Mission Control said the risk of recontacting the station was low, and that the onboard crew and space station was safe. However, the bag has been deemed as space junk and is expected to re-enter the Earth's orbit in the coming months, but will likely burn up as it does so.

Website EarthSky said some people should be able to see it floating around with just a pair of binoculars. The site said: "It's surprisingly bright (for a tool bag), shining just below the limit of visibility to the unaided eye".

This is not the first time something has been lost on a spacewalk. In November 2008, Heide Stefanyshyn-Piper was performing a similar repair when the same thing happened, and in 2006, spacewalker Piers Sellers sheepishly reported that he lost a spatula. In 1965, the first American spacewalker, Ed White, lost a spare glove when he went outside for the first time.