International Space Station · Thursday 12 November
No visible ISS passes over the UK tonight.
From London, the next visible pass is at 17:34 on Fri 13 Nov: it appears in the S, climbs to 13° and disappears in the SE about 2 minutes later. It looks like a bright, steady star moving fast, with no flashing lights.
Visible passes, town by town
| Town | Tonight | Next night with a pass |
|---|---|---|
| Lerwick | none | none in 3 nights |
| Kirkwall | none | none in 3 nights |
| Inverness | none | Sat 14 18:23 S→S, 11° up |
| Aberdeen | none | Sat 14 18:22 S→S, 13° up |
| Edinburgh | none | Sat 14 18:22 S→S, 15° up |
| Glasgow | none | Sat 14 18:22 S→S, 15° up |
| Belfast | none | Fri 13 19:08 SW→S, 13° up |
| Newcastle upon Tyne | none | Sat 14 18:22 S→S, 18° up |
| York | none | Sat 14 18:21 SW→S, 21° up |
| Manchester | none | Fri 13 19:09 SW→SW, 13° up |
| Birmingham | none | Fri 13 19:08 SW→SW, 14° up |
| Norwich | none | Fri 13 17:34 S→SE, 12° up |
| Cardiff | none | Fri 13 17:35 SE→SE, 10° up |
| London | none | Fri 13 17:34 S→SE, 13° up |
| Brighton | none | Fri 13 17:34 S→SE, 14° up |
| Plymouth | none | Fri 13 17:34 SE→SE, 11° up |
UK time. Direction it appears → where it goes; height is the highest point (90° is overhead). Passes count when the Station is at least 10° up, sunlit, and your sky is dark enough. For any other place, search your town or postcode.
Questions
What does the Space Station look like?
A bright, steady white light moving smoothly across the sky, faster than a plane and without flashing lights. It takes a few minutes to cross and often fades out before it reaches the horizon, as it passes into the Earth’s shadow.
Why can’t I see the ISS this week?
You only see it when it is lit by the Sun while your sky is dark, which means shortly after sunset or before sunrise. Its orbit means those conditions line up for a week or two, then there’s a gap of a few weeks with no evening passes. If there are none tonight, the table shows the next one.
Do I need binoculars?
No. It is one of the brightest things in the night sky, easy to see with your eyes even from a city.
How accurate are the times?
Usually within a minute. Its orbit is nudged by the thin upper atmosphere and occasional engine burns, so we refresh the orbit data several times a day. For exact timings, Heavens-Above and NASA’s Spot the Station are excellent.