🛰 When to See the ISS

Pass predictions for any spot on Earth — computed from live orbital elements

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Passes over -6.2, 106.85

Next pass: 2026-11-07, 22:46 UTC

Elevation peaks at 57° — high in the sky — travelling NW to SSE over about 6 minutes. This one is in daylight or Earth shadow — hard or impossible to see; keep to the dark ones marked below.

DateTime (UTC)Max elevationPathDurationVisibility
2026-11-07 22:46–22:52 UTC 57°NW → SSE6 min too low / daylight
2026-11-08 08:45–08:47 UTC 11°SE → ESE2 min too low / daylight
2026-11-08 10:20–10:25 UTC 24°WSW → N5 min too low / daylight
2026-11-08 21:58–22:05 UTC 54°NNW → SE6 min naked-eye

Computed at 2026-11-07T18:49 UTC from CelesTrak orbital elements dated 2026-11-07T17:54 — predictions this far ahead carry roughly ±1–2 minutes of error. CelesTrak TLE + SGP4 (satellite.js), computed on our server.

Why the ISS is visible at all

The Station has no lights worth speaking of — it shines because the Sun hits it, and it is only worth watching in the hour or two after your sunset or before your sunrise, when you stand in Earth's shadow but the station, 400 km up, still catches direct sunlight. High enough above the horizon, it outshines every planet and moves from horizon to horizon in about five minutes with no sound and no blinking — a steady bright train, easily mistaken for an aircraft until you notice it never deviates and is far faster.

How to use a pass prediction

Pick a pass with the largest max elevation and mark naked-eye: go outside two minutes before the start time, face the entering compass point (14 example cities above), and watch the sky, not the horizon — trees and buildings hide low passes. At the peak moment it is highest in the south (if you are in the northern hemisphere) or in the north (if you are in the southern). If the sky is overcast, the next one is usually the same evening, a few minutes earlier.

Predictions come from the station's live orbital elements (updated a few times a week as it is reboosted and dragged) propagated with the same SGP4 mathematics the professionals use — computed on our own server, not bought from anyone. For where it is this second, see ISS Live; for its hardware and the whole tracked fleet, see Satellites.

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