Can I see the ISS tonight in Alice Springs, Northern Territory?
No visible ISS pass tonight.
Next chance: Thursday 8 Oct at 8:01 pm, looking west-northwest.
The next 8 nights at a glance
4 visible passesISS pass times, night by night
start · path · brightnessTonight · Wednesday 7 Oct
dark 6:59 pm – 5:45 amThursday 8 Oct
dark 7:00 pm – 5:44 amFriday 9 Oct
dark 7:00 pm – 5:43 amSaturday 10 Oct
no visible passesSunday 11 Oct
dark 7:01 pm – 5:41 amMonday 12 Oct – Wednesday 14 Oct
no visible passesMagnitude is an estimate (lower = brighter; the ISS is usually between −1 and −3, brighter than any star). A pass that ends high in the sky ends because the station enters Earth's shadow, not because it sets. How we compute this.
Tiangong, China's space station
7 visible passes in 8 nightsNo visible pass of Tiangong over Alice Springs tonight. Next: Thursday 8 Oct at 8:18 pm. It orbits about 386 km up, tilted 41.5° to the equator, and looks like a bright, steady star gliding across the sky.
| Night | Appears | Highest | Mag ≈ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday 8 Oct | 8:18 pm | 17° SSW | 1 |
| Friday 9 Oct | 7:20 pm | 17° SSE | -0.5 |
| Saturday 10 Oct | 7:57 pm | 71° S | -2.5 |
| Sunday 11 Oct | 7:00 pm | 32° SE | -1.5 |
| Sunday 11 Oct | 8:35 pm | 13° W | 2 |
| Monday 12 Oct | 7:35 pm | 41° NNW | -1 |
| Wednesday 14 Oct | 7:14 pm | 17° NW | 1 |
Local time. Brightness is a rough estimate (±1 magnitude; lower is brighter). How we compute this.
Seeing the ISS from Alice Springs
Alice Springs is at 23.7°S. The ISS orbits at about 420 km, tilted 51.6° to the equator, so it passes within sight of this latitude on many nights. Tonight the sky is dark enough from 6:59 pm until 5:45 am. You can only see the station when it is still lit by the Sun while you are in darkness, so passes come in the hours after dusk or before dawn.
Over the next 8 nights there are 4 visible passes over Alice Springs (3 in the evening, 1 before dawn). The best is on Friday 9 Oct at 7:14 pm: it appears in the northwest, climbs to 55° in the southwest and sets in the south-southeast, at about magnitude -2.5.
The next pass over Alice Springs is in 0 days: Thursday 8 Oct from 8:01 pm to 8:07 pm, reaching 27° in the southwest.
The ISS looks like a steady, very bright star moving smoothly across the sky in a few minutes, with no blinking lights. It needs no telescope. If the times above say it fades out high in the sky, it has entered Earth's shadow: it disappears in a few seconds.
Questions
Can I see the ISS tonight in Alice Springs?
No visible ISS pass tonight. Next chance: Thursday 8 Oct at 8:01 pm, looking west-northwest.
What time is the ISS visible in Alice Springs?
The next visible passes start Thursday 8 Oct at 8:01 pm; Friday 9 Oct at 4:19 am; Friday 9 Oct at 7:14 pm (local time). All times are listed above.
Which direction should I look for the ISS from Alice Springs?
This week most passes appear in the west-northwest or east-northeast. Each pass lists where it appears, how high it climbs and where it fades.
How long is the ISS visible over Alice Springs?
This week's passes last between 2 and 7 minutes, from the moment it climbs 10° above the horizon or leaves Earth's shadow until it sets or enters the shadow.
Do I need a telescope to see the ISS?
No. It is one of the brightest objects in the night sky and is easy to see with the naked eye, even from a city.