Head out a bit early
Be outside a few minutes before the listed time and look toward the given start direction, usually west or southwest, low over the horizon.
Houston · United States · 408 km · 27 600 km/h
See the ISS over Houston.
The map shows the station's current position; the list below shows the next chances to see it from Houston, with time, direction and brightness.
The ISS passes over Houston several times a day. It is usually visible one to two hours after sunset, when the sky is dark and the station is still lit by the Sun.
Tracking:
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Next visible pass
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Look up
Watching the ISS over Houston
Houston sits at 29.76° N, 95.37° W. The tracker above already computes the passes for these exact coordinates, so you don't need to share your location, and the times are shown in your local time zone.
Because the ISS turns around at 51.6° latitude and Houston lies within that band, the station can climb almost directly overhead on the best passes. For a clear view, pick an open spot away from bright streetlights with as much open sky as possible.
When you can see it
Detecting location…
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Live view from the ISS
NASA streams live from the ISS around the clock, usually the external camera’s view of Earth. For privacy, the stream only loads after you click, nothing is loaded from YouTube before that.
Currently aboard
Usually seven people live and work aboard the ISS at once. Who's currently aboard changes with the expeditions every few months.
See the current crew ↗How to spot the ISS in the sky
Look for the bright dot
The ISS is a bright, white point of light that moves steadily and quickly. It doesn't blink and has no coloured lights. Only an aircraft would.
Follow it with your eyes
In two to five minutes it crosses the sky from west to east and often disappears mid-sky as it enters Earth's shadow.
No binoculars needed
Easily visible with the naked eye. More important than gear are a clear sky and an open view to the horizon. This tool doesn't factor in the weather.
The International Space Station in numbers
≈ 400 kmAltitude above Earth
≈ 28,000 km/hOrbital speed
≈ 93 minone orbit of Earth
≈ 16 ×orbits per day
51.6°inclination to the equator
since 2000continuously inhabited
At around 109 metres across, the ISS is about the size of a football pitch and the largest human-made object in Earth orbit. It circles the planet 15 to 16 times a day. On every orbit the people aboard see one sunrise and one sunset.
Frequently asked questions about spotting the ISS
When can you see the ISS over Houston?
The ISS passes over Houston several times a day, but it is only visible in the dark while it is still lit by the Sun, usually one to two hours after sunset. The tracker above shows the next visible pass over Houston with its time, direction and brightness.
How do I recognise the ISS in the sky?
The ISS looks like a bright, white point of light moving steadily and quickly from west to east across the sky, usually in two to five minutes from horizon to horizon. It doesn't blink like an aircraft and has no coloured navigation lights. It shines because its solar panels reflect sunlight.
How high and how fast does the ISS fly?
The International Space Station orbits the Earth at around 400 to 420 kilometres altitude at about 28,000 km/h. One full orbit takes roughly 90 to 93 minutes. That works out to about 16 orbits a day.
Why can I only see the ISS in the morning or evening?
The station is only visible when it's dark at your location but the ISS itself is still lit by the Sun. That combination happens mainly one to two hours after sunset and before sunrise. During the day the bright sky outshines it; in the middle of the night it sits in Earth's shadow.
What does the brightness (magnitude) mean?
Brightness is given as magnitude: the smaller or more negative the value, the brighter. The ISS reaches up to −4 mag, brighter than any star and usually brighter than Venus. Values around −2 to −3 are already very easy to see with the naked eye.
Do I need a telescope to see the ISS?
No. The ISS is easy to see with the naked eye. Binoculars make it brighter, but you can barely make out any detail because it moves so fast. More important than optics are a clear sky and an open view toward the horizon.
How accurate are the pass predictions?
The orbit is computed from current NORAD orbital data (TLE) with the SGP4 model right in your browser, the same method professional trackers use. Time and direction are accurate to within seconds and degrees. Weather is not included: clouds can hide a pass.