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Location: Santa Clara, California, United States

The following ISS sightings are possible from Monday Jul 16, 2018 through Thursday Aug 2, 2018

Date Visible Max Height Appears Disappears Share Event
Wed Jul 18, 9:00 PM 1 min 10° 10° above SE 10° above ESE  
Wed Jul 18, 10:33 PM 6 min 64° 10° above WSW 10° above NE  
Thu Jul 19, 00:12 AM 3 min 12° 10° above NW 10° above N  
Thu Jul 19, 3:28 AM < 1 min 11° 10° above N 11° above N  
Thu Jul 19, 5:03 AM 6 min 61° 10° above NW 10° above ESE  
Thu Jul 19, 9:41 PM 6 min 59° 11° above SW 11° above ENE  
Thu Jul 19, 11:19 PM 4 min 17° 10° above WNW 11° above NNE  
Fri Jul 20, 4:11 AM 6 min 32° 10° above NNW 11° above E  
Fri Jul 20, 8:49 PM 5 min 27° 10° above SSW 11° above ENE  
Fri Jul 20, 10:26 PM 5 min 27° 11° above W 10° above NNE  
Sat Jul 21, 3:19 AM 5 min 20° 10° above NNW 11° above ENE  
Sat Jul 21, 4:55 AM 6 min 46° 10° above WNW 12° above SSE  
Sat Jul 21, 9:33 PM 6 min 49° 10° above WSW 10° above NE  
Sat Jul 21, 11:14 PM < 1 min 10° 10° above N 10° above N  
Sun Jul 22, 2:27 AM 3 min 13° 10° above N 10° above NE  
Sun Jul 22, 4:03 AM 6 min 80° 10° above NW 11° above SE  
Sun Jul 22, 8:46 PM 2 min 28° 28° above NE 10° above NE  
Sun Jul 22, 10:22 PM 1 min 15° 15° above NNW 10° above NNE  
Mon Jul 23, 9:29 PM 2 min 22° 22° above NNW 11° above NNE  
Wed Jul 25, 9:22 PM 1 min 13° 13° above NNW 10° above N  
Sat Jul 28, 11:36 PM < 1 min 11° 10° above N 11° above N  
Mon Jul 30, 11:29 PM < 1 min 14° 14° above NNW 14° above NNW  
Tue Jul 31, 10:37 PM 2 min 14° 10° above N 14° above NNE  
Wed Aug 1, 9:45 PM 1 min 10° 10° above N 10° above NNE  

The following CYGNUS sightings are possible from Monday Jul 16, 2018 through Thursday Aug 2, 2018

Date Visible Max Height Appears Disappears Share Event
Tue Jul 17, 00:59 AM 2 min 15° 15° above NNW 10° above NNE  
Tue Jul 17, 4:16 AM 2 min 14° 10° above NNW 14° above N  
Tue Jul 17, 10:55 PM < 1 min 15° 15° above NE 10° above NE  
Wed Jul 18, 00:29 AM 4 min 16° 12° above WNW 10° above NNE  
Wed Jul 18, 3:48 AM 1 min 14° 11° above N 14° above N  
Wed Jul 18, 5:25 AM 7 min 61° 10° above NW 11° above ESE  
Wed Jul 18, 10:20 PM 7 min 86° 10° above SW 10° above NE  
Thu Jul 19, 00:00 AM 5 min 17° 11° above WNW 11° above NNE  
Thu Jul 19, 3:20 AM 1 min 13° 10° above N 13° above N  
Thu Jul 19, 4:57 AM 7 min 54° 10° above NW 11° above ESE  
Thu Jul 19, 9:52 PM 7 min 77° 10° above SW 12° above NE  
Thu Jul 19, 11:32 PM 5 min 18° 11° above WNW 10° above NNE  
Fri Jul 20, 2:52 AM < 1 min 12° 10° above N 12° above N  
Fri Jul 20, 4:29 AM 7 min 48° 10° above NW 11° above ESE  
Fri Jul 20, 9:24 PM 7 min 67° 10° above SW 11° above NE  
Fri Jul 20, 11:03 PM 5 min 20° 10° above WNW 11° above NNE  
Sat Jul 21, 2:23 AM < 1 min 11° 10° above N 11° above N  
Sat Jul 21, 4:00 AM 7 min 43° 10° above NW 10° above ESE  
Sat Jul 21, 5:39 AM 1 min 16° 10° above W 16° above W  
Sat Jul 21, 8:56 PM 7 min 59° 10° above SW 11° above ENE  
Sat Jul 21, 10:35 PM 6 min 21° 10° above WNW 10° above NNE  
Sun Jul 22, 1:55 AM 3 min 11° 10° above N 10° above NE  
Sun Jul 22, 3:32 AM 7 min 39° 10° above NW 10° above ESE  
Sun Jul 22, 5:11 AM 6 min 23° 10° above WNW 11° above S  
Sun Jul 22, 10:10 PM 3 min 23° 22° above NNW 11° above NNE  
Mon Jul 23, 1:29 AM 1 min 11° 11° above NNE 10° above NNE  
Mon Jul 23, 3:04 AM 6 min 35° 10° above NW 11° above E  
Mon Jul 23, 4:43 AM 5 min 26° 16° above W 10° above S  
Mon Jul 23, 9:42 PM 3 min 24° 24° above NNW 10° above NNE  
Tue Jul 24, 1:00 AM 1 min 11° 11° above N 10° above NNE  
Tue Jul 24, 9:13 PM 3 min 26° 26° above NNW 11° above NNE  
Tue Jul 24, 10:53 PM < 1 min 10° 10° above N 10° above N  
Wed Jul 25, 00:31 AM 1 min 10° 10° above N 10° above NNE  
Wed Jul 25, 8:45 PM 3 min 28° 28° above NNW 10° above NNE  
Wed Jul 25, 10:24 PM < 1 min 10° 10° above N 10° above N  
Thu Jul 26, 00:03 AM < 1 min 10° 10° above N 10° above NNE  
Thu Jul 26, 9:56 PM < 1 min 10° 10° above N 10° above N  
Fri Jul 27, 1:11 AM < 1 min 10° 10° above NNW 10° above NNW  
Fri Jul 27, 9:27 PM 1 min 11° 11° above NNW 10° above N  
Sat Jul 28, 00:43 AM < 1 min 12° 10° above NNW 12° above NNW  
Sat Jul 28, 8:59 PM 1 min 11° 11° above NNW 10° above N  
Sun Jul 29, 00:16 AM < 1 min 15° 13° above NNW 15° above NNW  
Sun Jul 29, 11:33 PM < 1 min 12° 11° above N 12° above N  
2018-07-19 04:00:00.0,Wed Jul 18, 9:00 PM,1 min,10°,10° above SE,10° above ESE|2018-07-19 05:33:00.0,Wed Jul 18, 10:33 PM,6 min,64°,10° above WSW,10° above NE|2018-07-19 07:12:00.0,Thu Jul 19, 00:12 AM,3 min,12°,10° above NW,10° above N|2018-07-19 10:28:00.0,Thu Jul 19, 3:28 AM,< 1 min,11°,10° above N,11° above N|2018-07-19 12:03:00.0,Thu Jul 19, 5:03 AM,6 min,61°,10° above NW,10° above ESE|2018-07-20 04:41:00.0,Thu Jul 19, 9:41 PM,6 min,59°,11° above SW,11° above ENE|2018-07-20 06:19:00.0,Thu Jul 19, 11:19 PM,4 min,17°,10° above WNW,11° above NNE|2018-07-20 11:11:00.0,Fri Jul 20, 4:11 AM,6 min,32°,10° above NNW,11° above E|2018-07-21 03:49:00.0,Fri Jul 20, 8:49 PM,5 min,27°,10° above SSW,11° above ENE|2018-07-21 05:26:00.0,Fri Jul 20, 10:26 PM,5 min,27°,11° above W,10° above NNE|2018-07-21 10:19:00.0,Sat Jul 21, 3:19 AM,5 min,20°,10° above NNW,11° above ENE|2018-07-21 11:55:00.0,Sat Jul 21, 4:55 AM,6 min,46°,10° above WNW,12° above SSE|2018-07-22 04:33:00.0,Sat Jul 21, 9:33 PM,6 min,49°,10° above WSW,10° above NE|2018-07-22 06:14:00.0,Sat Jul 21, 11:14 PM,< 1 min,10°,10° above N,10° above N|2018-07-22 09:27:00.0,Sun Jul 22, 2:27 AM,3 min,13°,10° above N,10° above NE|2018-07-22 11:03:00.0,Sun Jul 22, 4:03 AM,6 min,80°,10° above NW,11° above SE|2018-07-23 03:46:00.0,Sun Jul 22, 8:46 PM,2 min,28°,28° above NE,10° above NE|2018-07-23 05:22:00.0,Sun Jul 22, 10:22 PM,1 min,15°,15° above NNW,10° above NNE|2018-07-24 04:29:00.0,Mon Jul 23, 9:29 PM,2 min,22°,22° above NNW,11° above NNE|2018-07-26 04:22:00.0,Wed Jul 25, 9:22 PM,1 min,13°,13° above NNW,10° above N|2018-07-29 06:36:00.0,Sat Jul 28, 11:36 PM,< 1 min,11°,10° above N,11° above N|2018-07-31 06:29:00.0,Mon Jul 30, 11:29 PM,< 1 min,14°,14° above NNW,14° above NNW|2018-08-01 05:37:00.0,Tue Jul 31, 10:37 PM,2 min,14°,10° above N,14° above NNE|2018-08-02 04:45:00.0,Wed Aug 1, 9:45 PM,1 min,10°,10° above N,10° above NNE|

Last Updated:

What am I looking for in the sky?

The space station looks like an airplane or a very bright star moving across the sky, except it doesn’t have flashing lights or change direction. It will also be moving considerably faster than a typical airplane (airplanes generally fly at about 600 miles per hour; the space station flies at 17,500 miles per hour).

Below is a time-lapse photo of the space station moving across the sky.

The International Space Station is seen in this 30 second exposure as it flies over Elkton, VA early in the morning, Saturday, August 1, 2015. Photo Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls The International Space Station is seen in this 30 second exposure as it flies over Elkton, VA early in the morning, Saturday, August 1, 2015. Photo Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

Visit the NASA Johnson Flickr Photostream

How do I Spot The Station?

What does all this sighting information mean?

Time is when the sighting opportunity will begin in your local time zone. All sightings will occur within a few hours before or after sunrise or sunset. This is the optimum viewing period as the sun reflects off the space station and contrasts against the darker sky.

Visible is the maximum time period the space station is visible before crossing back below the horizon.

Max Height is measured in degrees (also known as elevation). It represents the height of the space station from the horizon in the night sky. The horizon is at zero degrees, and directly overhead is ninety degrees. If you hold your fist at arm’s length and place your fist resting on the horizon, the top will be about 10 degrees.

Appears is the location in the sky where the station will be visible first. This value, like maximum height, also is measured in degrees from the horizon. The letters represent compass directions -- N is north, WNW is west by northwest, and so on.

Disappears represents where in the night sky the International Space Station will leave your field of view.

Astronomical Horizon

National Aeronautics and Space Administration Page Editor: Bill Keeter NASA Official: Jacob Keaton