See the ISS from Auckland

When the International Space Station and other bright satellites can be seen from Auckland, New Zealand, where to look, and what's overhead right now.

Next chance to see the ISS from Auckland

Tue 17 Nov at 04:54

Low in the sky · visible for 6 min

Appears
04:54
12° up, in the north
Highest
04:57
27° up, in the north-east
Drops low
05:00
10° up, in the east

A fist at arm's length covers about 10° of sky. It looks like a bright, steady star moving quickly, with no flashing lights.

Visible passes, next 10 days

Times are Auckland time

When	What	Length	Highest	Direction
Sun 8 Nov03:53	HubbleNE to NE · 16 sec	16 sec	11°Low in the sky	NE to NE
Sun 8 Nov04:25	TiangongSW to E · 4 min	4 min	39°Good	SW to E
Sun 8 Nov05:27	HubbleNW to NE · 5 min	5 min	18°Low in the sky	NW to NE
Mon 9 Nov03:28	TiangongSE to E · 1 min	1 min	20°Low in the sky	SE to E
Mon 9 Nov04:56	HubbleN to NE · 3 min	3 min	18°Low in the sky	N to NE
Mon 9 Nov05:00	TiangongSW to E · 6 min	6 min	76°Excellent	SW to E
Tue 10 Nov04:03	TiangongS to E · 3 min	3 min	50°Excellent	S to E
Tue 10 Nov04:25	HubbleN to NE · 1 min	1 min	15°Low in the sky	N to NE
Tue 10 Nov05:37	TiangongW to W · 55 sec	55 sec	17°Low in the sky	W to W
Wed 11 Nov04:38	TiangongW to NE · 4 min	4 min	65°Excellent	W to NE
Thu 12 Nov03:42	TiangongE to E · 28 sec	28 sec	13°Low in the sky	E to E
Thu 12 Nov05:14	TiangongW to N · 4 min	4 min	20°Low in the sky	W to N
Fri 13 Nov04:18	TiangongNE to NE · 18 sec	18 sec	12°Low in the sky	NE to NE
Fri 13 Nov20:47	TiangongN to NE · 1 min	1 min	11°Low in the sky	N to NE
Sat 14 Nov21:21	TiangongNW to NE · 4 min	4 min	37°Good	NW to NE
Sun 15 Nov21:57	TiangongW to S · 3 min	3 min	73°Excellent	W to S
Mon 16 Nov20:57	TiangongNW to E · 6 min	6 min	67°Excellent	NW to E
Mon 16 Nov21:11	HubbleN to N · 1 min	1 min	12°Low in the sky	N to N
Mon 16 Nov22:34	TiangongW to SW · 2 min	2 min	30°Good	W to SW
Tue 17 Nov04:54	ISSN to E · 6 min	6 min	27°Low in the sky	N to E

Not in Auckland? Use your own location

Where the stations are now

Updates every 5 seconds

International Space Station

Directly above: Loading…
Height: Loading…
Speed: Loading…

Tiangong space station

Directly above: Loading…
Height: Loading…
Speed: Loading…

Good to know

How to spot the ISS

Go outside a few minutes early and let your eyes adjust. Face the direction shown and look for a bright, steady light moving smoothly across the sky. It doesn't flash like a plane, and it crosses the sky in a few minutes. You don't need a telescope or binoculars.

Why only at dusk and dawn?

Satellites don't shine by themselves. They reflect sunlight. You can see one when your sky is dark but the Sun is still lighting it up high above you, and that mostly happens in the hours after sunset and before sunrise. A pass can end in mid-sky when the satellite enters Earth's shadow.

How to read the sky map

The map is the whole sky above you, with north at the top. The centre is straight overhead and the outer edge is the horizon. Green dots are high enough and lit by the Sun in a dark sky, though the fainter ones need a dark spot away from street lights. Grey dots are too low, in Earth's shadow, or lost in a bright sky.

How accurate are the times?

Times are calculated from the latest published orbit data, using the same standard model other trackers use. They're usually right to within a few seconds for the next day or two. The ISS sometimes adjusts its orbit, so check again on the day for passes further ahead.

Orbit data from CelesTrak.