See the ISS from Mechanicsville, IA
Next visible pass
Sat 14 Nov, 6:32 pm
Look W. The station climbs to 35° in the NNW and fades in the NNW after 3 minutes. Bright.
- Appears
- 6:32 pm · W
- Highest
- 6:35 pm · 35°
- Disappears
- 6:35 pm · NNW
Visible passes
| Date | Appears | Highest | Disappears | Brightness |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sat 14 Nov | 6:32 pm · W 11° | 6:35 pm · NNW 35° | 6:35 pm · NNW 35° | Bright (mag -2.6) |
| Sun 15 Nov | 5:44 pm · WSW 10° | 5:47 pm · NW 52° | 5:49 pm · NE 18° | Very bright (mag -3.2) |
| Mon 16 Nov | 6:34 pm · WNW 10° | 6:36 pm · NNW 21° | 6:36 pm · NNW 21° | Bright (mag -1.7) |
| Tue 17 Nov | 5:45 pm · W 10° | 5:48 pm · NNW 26° | 5:50 pm · NNE 14° | Bright (mag -2.1) |
| Wed 18 Nov | 6:36 pm · NW 11° | 6:37 pm · NNW 16° | 6:37 pm · NNW 16° | Fairly bright (mag -1.3) |
| Thu 19 Nov | 5:47 pm · NW 10° | 5:50 pm · N 18° | 5:51 pm · NNE 13° | Bright (mag -1.8) |
| Fri 20 Nov | 6:37 pm · NW 10° | 6:38 pm · NNW 14° | 6:38 pm · NNW 14° | Fairly bright (mag -1.2) |
| Sat 21 Nov | 5:49 pm · NW 10° | 5:51 pm · N 15° | 5:52 pm · NNE 14° | Bright (mag -1.8) |
| Sun 22 Nov | 6:38 pm · NW 10° | 6:39 pm · NNW 15° | 6:39 pm · NNW 15° | Fairly bright (mag -1.2) |
| Mon 23 Nov | 5:50 pm · NNW 10° | 5:52 pm · N 17° | 5:53 pm · NNE 16° | Bright (mag -2.1) |
Directions are compass points; heights are degrees above the horizon (90° is overhead). Passes above about 40° are the easiest to see.
How to spot the space station
The ISS looks like a bright, steady star moving across the sky in a few minutes. It does not blink, which tells it apart from aircraft. Be outside a couple of minutes early and look towards the direction where it appears. It may fade out before reaching the horizon as it enters Earth's shadow.
Predictions use the SGP4 orbit model with elements from CelesTrak (epoch 14 Nov 04:10 UTC). Times can shift by a minute or more after the station adjusts its orbit, so check again on the day. Sources and methods.