Can I see the ISS tonight in Kolkata, West Bengal?
No visible ISS pass tonight.
Next chance: Monday 12 Oct at 4:22 am, looking south.
The next 8 nights at a glance
4 visible passesISS pass times, night by night
start · path · brightnessTonight · Wednesday 7 Oct
dark 5:42 pm – 5:07 amThursday 8 Oct – Saturday 10 Oct
no visible passesSunday 11 Oct
dark 5:38 pm – 5:09 amMonday 12 Oct
dark 5:37 pm – 5:09 amTuesday 13 Oct
dark 5:36 pm – 5:09 amWednesday 14 Oct
dark 5:35 pm – 5:10 amMagnitude 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
2 visible passes in 8 nightsNo visible pass of Tiangong over Kolkata tonight. Next: Tuesday 13 Oct at 4:35 am. 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 ≈ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuesday 13 Oct | 4:35 am | 12° NNE | 1 |
| Thursday 15 Oct | 4:14 am | 23° NNE | 0 |
Local time. Brightness is a rough estimate (±1 magnitude; lower is brighter). How we compute this.
Seeing the ISS from Kolkata
Kolkata is at 22.6°N. 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 5:42 pm until 5:07 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 Kolkata (0 in the evening, 4 before dawn). The best is on Wednesday 14 Oct at 4:26 am: it appears in the west, climbs to 54° in the northwest and sets in the north-northeast, at about magnitude -4.
The next pass over Kolkata is in 4 days: Monday 12 Oct from 4:22 am to 4:28 am, reaching 28° in the east-southeast.
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 Kolkata?
No visible ISS pass tonight. Next chance: Monday 12 Oct at 4:22 am, looking south.
What time is the ISS visible in Kolkata?
The next visible passes start Monday 12 Oct at 4:22 am; Tuesday 13 Oct at 3:37 am; Wednesday 14 Oct at 4:26 am (local time). All times are listed above.
Which direction should I look for the ISS from Kolkata?
This week most passes appear in the south or southeast. Each pass lists where it appears, how high it climbs and where it fades.
How long is the ISS visible over Kolkata?
This week's passes last between 1 and 6 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.