ISS Pass Times Tonight

The International Space Station (ISS) is a modular space station in low Earth orbit, approximately 420 km (260 miles) above the surface. It's the largest artificial object in space and can be seen with the naked eye from Earth — appearing as a bright, steady light moving across the sky.

Orbiting Earth every 90 minutes at about 28,000 km/h (17,500 mph), the ISS completes roughly 16 orbits per day. It's the third brightest object in the night sky after the Sun and Moon, reaching a visual magnitude of up to -5.9.

The station has been continuously occupied since November 2000, hosting crews from NASA, Roscosmos, ESA, JAXA, and other space agencies.

The ISS is visible to the naked eye — no telescope or binoculars needed for most passes. Here's what you need to know:

• Timing matters: The ISS is only visible during twilight hours — shortly after sunset or before sunrise — when you're in darkness but the station is high enough to be illuminated by the Sun.
• Look for a bright, steady light: Unlike airplanes, the ISS doesn't have blinking lights. It appears as a solid, bright dot moving steadily across the sky.
• Higher is brighter: Passes that reach higher in the sky (above 45°) are brighter and easier to see. The ISS predictions above show the maximum elevation for each pass.
• Duration: A typical pass lasts 3–6 minutes from horizon to horizon. The ISS may fade in or out as it enters or leaves Earth's shadow.