When to see the International Space Station
The ISS is often the brightest object in the night sky after the Moon. Find the next visible passes over your town.
ISS passes for major cities
Why you can only see it sometimes
The station shines by reflected sunlight. You see it when your sky is dark but the station, about 400 km up, is still in sunshine. That happens for an hour or two after sunset or before sunrise, during spells of about one to two weeks. Then its orbit takes it over in daylight or through Earth's shadow for a while.
What you will see
A steady white point of light crossing the sky in two to six minutes, without flashing lights. Bright passes are easy to see from a city. You do not need binoculars, and a phone on a tripod can capture its trail with a long exposure.
Orbit elements: CelesTrak, epoch 13 Nov 2026 21:59 UTC. Predictions use the SGP4 orbit model. Sources and methods.