Planets and Visitors · 8 of 12
Satellites and the ISS
What is the steady light gliding across the sky at dusk?
Why satellites shine at dusk and dawn, lit by a Sun you can no longer see; how fast they cross, why they never blink like a plane, Starlink trains, and how to find a real pass.
You’ll be able to tell a satellite from a plane or a meteor, and find tonight’s ISS pass.
Before this: Understanding Star Brightness (10 min)
Where and which night
Working out when this is best placed from where you are…
Where
Kept for this guide only, until you change it here — your map settings, and every other guide, stay as they are.
Print, play outside or present
Scan with a phone's camera, or open
Sources
- NASA, Spot the Station — the station has no flashing lights and does not change direction; sightings come within a few hours of sunrise or sunset
- NASA, Spot the Station FAQ — the station is seen because it reflects sunlight, and vanishes moving into the Earth's shadow
- Wikipedia, International Space Station — about 400 km up, 109 m across, magnitude about −4 overhead, a pass of up to 10 minutes
- American Meteor Society, Meteor FAQ — meteoroids enter the atmosphere at about 11–72 km/s
- Spaceflight Now (2019) — a Starlink train in twilight; the satellites climb to 550 km and dim to about +4 to +7
With a keyboard, focus the sky, aim it with the up and down arrow keys, and press Enter to drop the pin at the centre of the view; or press Show me.