ISS Pass Times
When will the ISS pass over you?
Get precise pass times, duration, and maximum elevation for the next 7 days — calculated from your location and live TLE orbital data.
How to spot the ISS
Choose a twilight pass
The ISS is only visible when the sky is dark but the station is still in sunlight — roughly 30–90 minutes after sunset or before sunrise. Mid-night passes are invisible because the ISS is in Earth's shadow.
No equipment needed
At peak brightness the ISS reaches magnitude −5.9 — brighter than Venus. It looks like a fast, steady white point of light crossing the sky. Unlike aircraft it doesn't blink.
Look in the right direction
The AOS direction in the pass table shows where the ISS first appears on the horizon. Maximum elevation tells you how high it will arc — 90° is directly overhead.
Frequently asked questions
Why might I see no passes in the next 7 days?
This can happen at very high or low latitudes, or when the ISS orbit geometry simply doesn't produce passes above 10° elevation for your location this week. The orbit precesses steadily — try again in a few days.
What does maximum elevation mean?
Maximum elevation is the highest point the ISS reaches above the horizon during the pass. 90° is directly overhead. Passes above 40° are excellent viewing opportunities. Passes near 10° stay close to the horizon and can be obscured by buildings or trees.
How accurate are these pass times?
Pass times are calculated using SGP4 orbital propagation from the latest TLE. For fresh TLEs the timing error is typically under 30 seconds. TLEs degrade after a few days as atmospheric drag accumulates.
Are times shown in my local timezone?
Yes — all times use your device's local timezone. No conversion needed.