See the ISS from Kestell, Free State, South Africa
Next visible pass
Mon 16 Nov, 03:58
Look NW. The station climbs to 86° in the SW and fades in the SE after 5 minutes. Very bright.
- Appears
- 03:58 · NW
- Highest
- 04:00 · 86°
- Disappears
- 04:03 · SE
Visible passes
| Date | Appears | Highest | Disappears | Brightness |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 16 Nov | 03:58 · NW 25° | 04:00 · SW 86° | 04:03 · SE 11° | Very bright (mag -4.0) |
| Tue 17 Nov | 03:12 · ENE 42° | 03:12 · ENE 42° | 03:15 · ESE 10° | Bright (mag -2.7) |
| Wed 18 Nov | 03:59 · WSW 17° | 04:01 · SW 23° | 04:04 · SSE 10° | Bright (mag -2.3) |
| Thu 19 Nov | 03:14 · SSW 38° | 03:14 · SSW 38° | 03:16 · SSE 10° | Bright (mag -2.6) |
| Fri 20 Nov | 02:27 · SE 19° | 02:27 · SE 19° | 02:28 · SE 11° | Faint (mag 0.2) |
| Sat 21 Nov | 03:14 · SSW 14° | 03:14 · SSW 14° | 03:16 · S 10° | Fairly bright (mag -1.2) |
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 07:16 UTC). Times can shift by a minute or more after the station adjusts its orbit, so check again on the day. Sources and methods.