Can I see the ISS tonight in Nairobi?
No visible ISS pass tonight.
Next chance: Friday 9 Oct at 5:36 am, looking south-southwest.
The next 8 nights at a glance
4 visible passesISS pass times, night by night
start · path · brightnessTonight · Wednesday 7 Oct
dark 6:46 pm – 5:55 amThursday 8 Oct
dark 6:45 pm – 5:55 amFriday 9 Oct
dark 6:45 pm – 5:55 amSaturday 10 Oct
dark 6:45 pm – 5:54 amSunday 11 Oct
dark 6:45 pm – 5:54 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
2 visible passes in 8 nightsNo visible pass of Tiangong over Nairobi tonight. Next: Tuesday 13 Oct at 7:55 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 ≈ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuesday 13 Oct | 7:55 pm | 13° SSW | 1 |
| Wednesday 14 Oct | 6:57 pm | 14° SE | -0.5 |
Local time. Brightness is a rough estimate (±1 magnitude; lower is brighter). How we compute this.
Seeing the ISS from Nairobi
Nairobi is at 1.3°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 6:46 pm until 5:55 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 Nairobi (0 in the evening, 4 before dawn). The best is on Friday 9 Oct at 5:36 am: it appears in the south-southwest, climbs to 80° in the east and sets in the northeast, at about magnitude -3.5.
Tonight the nearest city on our list that can see the ISS is Mombasa, about 442 km away, at 4:48 am 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 Nairobi is in 1 day: Friday 9 Oct from 5:36 am to 5:43 am, reaching 80° in the east.
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 Nairobi?
No visible ISS pass tonight. Next chance: Friday 9 Oct at 5:36 am, looking south-southwest.
What time is the ISS visible in Nairobi?
The next visible passes start Friday 9 Oct at 5:36 am; Saturday 10 Oct at 4:51 am; Sunday 11 Oct at 5:41 am (local time). All times are listed above.
Which direction should I look for the ISS from Nairobi?
This week most passes appear in the south-southwest or south. Each pass lists where it appears, how high it climbs and where it fades.
How long is the ISS visible over Nairobi?
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.