Can I see the ISS tonight in Townsville, Queensland?
No visible ISS pass tonight.
Next chance: Thursday 8 Oct at 6:55 pm, looking northwest.
The next 8 nights at a glance
4 visible passesISS pass times, night by night
start · path · brightnessTonight · Wednesday 7 Oct
dark 6:35 pm – 5:26 amThursday 8 Oct
dark 6:35 pm – 5:26 amFriday 9 Oct
dark 6:35 pm – 5:25 amSaturday 10 Oct
dark 6:35 pm – 5:24 amSunday 11 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
6 visible passes in 8 nightsNo visible pass of Tiangong over Townsville tonight. Next: Friday 9 Oct at 7:53 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 ≈ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Friday 9 Oct | 7:53 pm | 14° SSW | 1 |
| Saturday 10 Oct | 6:55 pm | 14° SSE | 0 |
| Sunday 11 Oct | 7:31 pm | 62° S | -2 |
| Monday 12 Oct | 6:35 pm | 27° SE | -1.5 |
| Monday 12 Oct | 8:09 pm | 14° WNW | 2 |
| Tuesday 13 Oct | 7:09 pm | 42° NW | -1 |
Local time. Brightness is a rough estimate (±1 magnitude; lower is brighter). How we compute this.
Seeing the ISS from Townsville
Townsville is at 19.3°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 6:35 pm until 5:26 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 Townsville (2 in the evening, 2 before dawn). The best is on Thursday 8 Oct at 6:55 pm: it appears in the northwest, climbs to 62° in the southwest and sets in the south-southeast, at about magnitude -3.
Tonight the nearest city on our list that can see the ISS is Mackay, about 324 km away, at 6:56 pm local time. From that far away the station's path across the sky looks quite different, so check the times for your own city.
The next pass over Townsville is in 0 days: Thursday 8 Oct from 6:55 pm to 7:02 pm, reaching 62° 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 Townsville?
No visible ISS pass tonight. Next chance: Thursday 8 Oct at 6:55 pm, looking northwest.
What time is the ISS visible in Townsville?
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 Townsville?
This week most passes appear in the west-southwest or northwest. Each pass lists where it appears, how high it climbs and where it fades.
How long is the ISS visible over Townsville?
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.