Can I see the ISS tonight in Cairns, Queensland?
Yes — best chance 4:49 am, looking southwest.
Visible from 4:49 am to 4:54 am, high in the sky (69°) at its highest; about magnitude -4, brighter than any star.
The next 8 nights at a glance
4 visible passesISS pass times, night by night
start · path · brightnessTonight · Thursday 8 Oct
dark 6:38 pm – 5:31 amFriday 9 Oct
dark 6:38 pm – 5:30 amSaturday 10 Oct
dark 6:38 pm – 5:30 amSunday 11 Oct – Thursday 15 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
5 visible passes in 8 nightsNo visible pass of Tiangong over Cairns tonight. Next: Sunday 11 Oct at 7:31 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 ≈ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunday 11 Oct | 7:31 pm | 36° SSE | -1.5 |
| Monday 12 Oct | 8:09 pm | 17° W | 2 |
| Tuesday 13 Oct | 7:09 pm | 70° NNW | -2 |
| Wednesday 14 Oct | 7:49 pm | 10° NW | 1.5 |
| Thursday 15 Oct | 6:48 pm | 24° NW | 0.5 |
Local time. Brightness is a rough estimate (±1 magnitude; lower is brighter). How we compute this.
Seeing the ISS from Cairns
Cairns is at 16.9°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 6:38 pm until 5:31 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 Cairns (2 in the evening, 2 before dawn). The best is on Friday 9 Oct at 4:49 am: it appears in the southwest, climbs to 69° in the north-northwest and sets in the north-northeast, at about magnitude -4.
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 Cairns?
Yes — best chance 4:49 am, looking southwest. Visible from 4:49 am to 4:54 am, high in the sky (69°) at its highest; about magnitude -4, brighter than any star.
What time is the ISS visible in Cairns?
The next visible passes start Thursday 8 Oct at 6:55 pm; Friday 9 Oct at 4:49 am; Saturday 10 Oct at 4:05 am (local time). All times are listed above.
Which direction should I look for the ISS from Cairns?
This week most passes appear in the northwest or southwest. Each pass lists where it appears, how high it climbs and where it fades.
How long is the ISS visible over Cairns?
This week's passes last between 1 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.