See the ISS from Smithfield, Free State, South Africa
Next visible pass
Mon 16 Nov, 03:58
Look NNW. The station climbs to 56° in the NE and fades in the SE after 5 minutes. Very bright.
- Appears
- 03:58 · NNW
- Highest
- 04:00 · 56°
- Disappears
- 04:03 · SE
Visible passes
| Date | Appears | Highest | Disappears | Brightness |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 16 Nov | 03:58 · NNW 24° | 04:00 · NE 56° | 04:03 · SE 11° | Very bright (mag -3.3) |
| Tue 17 Nov | 03:12 · ENE 27° | 03:12 · ENE 27° | 03:15 · ESE 10° | Bright (mag -1.9) |
| Wed 18 Nov | 03:59 · W 23° | 04:01 · SW 36° | 04:04 · SSE 11° | Very bright (mag -3.0) |
| Thu 19 Nov | 03:13 · SSE 58° | 03:13 · SSE 58° | 03:16 · SE 11° | Very bright (mag -3.2) |
| Fri 20 Nov | 04:00 · WSW 10° | 04:02 · SW 13° | 04:04 · S 10° | Fairly bright (mag -1.3) |
| Sat 21 Nov | 03:14 · SSW 21° | 03:14 · SSW 21° | 03:17 · SSE 10° | Bright (mag -1.8) |
| Sun 22 Nov | 02:28 · SSE 18° | 02:28 · SSE 18° | 02:29 · SSE 11° | Faint (mag 0.1) |
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 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.