Satellite radar / Houston
See the ISS from Houston
When the International Space Station and other bright satellites can be seen from Houston, USA, where to look, and what's overhead right now.
Next chance to see the ISS from Houston
Sat 7 Nov at 19:13
Low in the sky · visible for 2 min
Best chance: Tue 10 Nov at 18:26, climbing to 70° up.
Appears
19:13
10° up, in the south-west
Highest
19:14
25° up, in the south
Fades out
19:14
25° up, in the south
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 Houston time| When | What | Highest |
|---|---|---|
| Sat 7 Nov17:58 | TiangongNW to SE · 6 min | 59°Excellent |
| Sat 7 Nov19:13 | ISSSW to S · 2 min | 25°Low in the sky |
| Sun 8 Nov18:25 | ISSS to E · 4 min | 26°Low in the sky |
| Sun 8 Nov18:36 | TiangongW to S · 3 min | 13°Low in the sky |
| Mon 9 Nov19:14 | ISSW to NW · 3 min | 33°Good |
| Tue 10 Nov18:26 | ISSSW to NE · 5 min | 70°Excellent |
| Wed 11 Nov19:17 | ISSNW to NW · 2 min | 12°Low in the sky |
| Thu 12 Nov18:28 | ISSW to N · 5 min | 20°Low in the sky |
| Mon 16 Nov05:42 | TiangongS to E · 3 min | 13°Low in the sky |
Not in Houston? Use your own location
Where the stations are now
Updates every 5 secondsInternational Space Station
- Directly above
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- Height
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- Speed
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Tiangong space station
- Directly above
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- Height
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- Speed
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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.