How to Spot the ISS Tonight
The International Space Station is one of the brightest objects in the night sky — easy to see from a city sidewalk, no telescope required.
Why you can see it
You are seeing sunlight bouncing off a structure about 109 metres across at 400–420 km altitude, moving at 7.66 km/s. Visible passes require darkness on the ground while the station is still in sunlight — typically the hour or two after sunset and before sunrise.
How bright
On the best passes the ISS reaches roughly magnitude −4, rivalling Venus. Even a mediocre pass at −2 beats Sirius and cuts through suburban light pollution.
Reading a pass prediction
Check rise time, direction, maximum elevation, and duration. Passes peaking above 40° are the memorable ones. For exact times at your location, use ISS pass predictions or track the ISS live.
Plane, Starlink, or station?
Aircraft blink and often make sound. The ISS is a steady white-to-gold point on a west-to-east track. A line of lights is usually a Starlink train.