The International Space Station tonight
Every visible pass of the station over the next ten nights for your location: when it rises, how high it climbs and where it fades out. It looks like a bright star crossing the sky in a few minutes, without blinking.
International Space Station
Next visible pass of the International Space Station from New York: Wed, Oct 14 at 5:49 AM, appearing in the S, climbing to 22° in the SE, visible for 5 min 21 s.
| Night | Appears | Highest | Disappears | Visible for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wed, Oct 14 | 5:49 AM S | 5:52 AM 22° SE | 5:54 AM E | 5 min 21 s |
| Thu, Oct 15 | 5:03 AM SSE · out of Earth’s shadow | 5:05 AM 13° SE | 5:06 AM E | 2 min 54 s |
| Thu, Oct 15 | 6:38 AM WSW | 6:40 AM 35° WSW | 6:40 AM WSW | 2 min 7 s |
| Fri, Oct 16 | 5:52 AM SW · out of Earth’s shadow | 5:54 AM 66° SE | 5:57 AM ENE | 5 min 24 s |
| Sat, Oct 17 | 5:07 AM ESE · out of Earth’s shadow | 5:07 AM 35° ESE | 5:10 AM ENE | 2 min 46 s |
| Sat, Oct 17 | 6:40 AM W | 6:42 AM 21° WNW | 6:42 AM WNW | 1 min 38 s |
| Sun, Oct 18 | 5:55 AM WNW · out of Earth’s shadow | 5:56 AM 44° NNW | 5:59 AM NE | 4 min 18 s |
| Mon, Oct 19 | 5:10 AM NE · out of Earth’s shadow | 5:10 AM 34° NE | 5:12 AM NE | 2 min 8 s |
| Mon, Oct 19 | 6:43 AM WNW | 6:44 AM 12° NW | 6:44 AM NW | 0 min 42 s |
| Tue, Oct 20 | 5:57 AM NW · out of Earth’s shadow | 5:58 AM 22° NNW | 6:01 AM NNE | 3 min 28 s |
| Wed, Oct 21 | 5:12 AM NNE · out of Earth’s shadow | 5:12 AM 20° NNE | 5:14 AM NE | 1 min 32 s |
| Thu, Oct 22 | 6:00 AM NNW · out of Earth’s shadow | 6:00 AM 15° NNW | 6:03 AM NNE | 2 min 58 s |
| Fri, Oct 23 | 5:14 AM NNE · out of Earth’s shadow | 5:14 AM 14° NNE | 5:15 AM NNE | 1 min 4 s |
Passes for the next 10 nights, computed from the latest orbital elements. Times may shift by a minute or two as the orbit is adjusted. Appears and disappears are the moments the satellite crosses 10° above the horizon or the edge of Earth’s shadow.
The station’s orbit
| Mean altitude | 420 km |
|---|---|
| Speed | 7.66 km/s (27,600 km/h) |
| Time for one orbit | 93.0 min |
| Inclination | 51.6° |
| Orbit data from | Oct 12, 2026 |
Altitude, speed and period are derived from the mean motion in the current orbital elements (circular orbit).
Pass predictions: SGP4 propagation (satellite.js) of the GP orbital data from CelesTrak GP data (Oct 13, 2026). Calculated with Astronomy Engine, an open-source library verified against the US Naval Observatory and NASA JPL. Data sources
How to use this page
Choose your place at the top. The page lists the visible passes over the next nights, when each starts, how high it climbs and in which direction it moves, worked out from the latest orbital data.
Frequently asked questions
Why can I only see satellites at dawn and dusk?
A satellite shines by reflecting sunlight. It is visible when it is still in sunlight high above you while your sky is already dark, which happens in the hours after sunset and before sunrise.
How bright is the space station?
On a good pass the ISS is brighter than any star in the sky and crosses it steadily in a few minutes, without blinking like an aircraft.
Why does a pass end in the middle of the sky?
The satellite enters Earth’s shadow and disappears, even though it is still above the horizon.
Related guides
- How to see the International Space StationThe space station is a bright, steady point of light that crosses the sky in a few minutes. It is visible only when it is in sunlight while your sky is dark: within a few hours after sunset or before sunrise.
- Altitude and azimuth: finding things in the skyTwo angles tell you exactly where to look: which direction, and how high.