As of September 9, 2026 (UTC): use the ISS Pass Predictor for timed passes — orbit geometry changes nightly and needs your coordinates.
The ISS is only visible when it is sunlit while your sky is already dark — typically the hour or two after dusk and before dawn.
A steady, non-blinking point that crosses the sky in a few minutes is almost always a satellite or the ISS. Blinking lights are aircraft; a brief streak is a meteor. Use the ISS Pass Predictor for timed passes at your coordinates.
ISS Pass Predictor · Email sky alerts · Open live Sky Events feed · Satellite passes lesson
Steady and fast usually means a satellite or the ISS. Blinking lights are aircraft. A short streak is a meteor. Something fixed among the stars is a planet or star.
The station must be in sunlight while you are in darkness, and it must clear your local horizon. Geometry changes nightly — check the predictor for your lat/lon.