Sightings

See the ISS over Busan

South Korea · local time

The International Space Station makes 12 visible passes over Busan in the next few nights. Each one is a bright, fast-moving point of light crossing the sky in a matter of minutes — no telescope needed. Times below are in Busan's local clock.

At 35.2°N, Busan lies well inside the ISS's 51.6° orbital band, so the Station can climb almost to the zenith — its highest, brightest passes appear near straight overhead and can cross any part of the sky. Read why the ISS orbits at 51.6°.

Across the current forecast window the ISS makes 12 visible passes from Busan: the best climbs to 78°, the brightest reaches magnitude −2.3 (bright), most appear from the NW, and they last about 5 minutes on average.

Tue 21 Jul 21:40
Visible
5m
Max height
20°
Brightness
+1.2 faint
Appears → Leaves
NNW → E
60° 30° NESW rise
Where to look — the arc across your sky
Ground track — the path beneath the Station
Wed 22 Jul 20:53
Visible
4m
Max height
14°
Brightness
+0.7 faint
Appears → Leaves
N → ENE
60° 30° NESW rise
Where to look — the arc across your sky
Ground track — the path beneath the Station
Wed 22 Jul 22:29
Visible
7m
Max height
74°
Brightness
+4.4 very faint
Appears → Leaves
NW → SE
60° 30° NESW rise
Where to look — the arc across your sky
Ground track — the path beneath the Station
Thu 23 Jul 20:07
Visible
1m
Max height
10°
Brightness
+2.1 very faint
Appears → Leaves
NNE → NNE
60° 30° NESW rise
Where to look — the arc across your sky
Ground track — the path beneath the Station
Thu 23 Jul 21:41
Visible
7m
Max height
52°
Brightness
+1.1 faint
Appears → Leaves
NW → ESE
60° 30° NESW rise
Where to look — the arc across your sky
Ground track — the path beneath the Station
Fri 24 Jul 20:54
Visible
6m
Max height
31°
Brightness
−0.8 moderate
Appears → Leaves
NNW → ESE
60° 30° NESW rise
Where to look — the arc across your sky
Ground track — the path beneath the Station
Sat 25 Jul 20:07
Visible
5m 30s
Max height
20°
Brightness
−0.1 moderate
Appears → Leaves
NNW → E
60° 30° NESW rise
Where to look — the arc across your sky
Ground track — the path beneath the Station
Sat 25 Jul 21:43
Visible
6m 30s
Max height
40°
Brightness
+1.3 faint
Appears → Leaves
WNW → SSE
60° 30° NESW rise
Where to look — the arc across your sky
Ground track — the path beneath the Station
Sun 26 Jul 20:55
Visible
7m
Max height
78°
Brightness
−2.3 bright
Appears → Leaves
NW → SE
60° 30° NESW rise
Where to look — the arc across your sky
Ground track — the path beneath the Station
Mon 27 Jul 20:08
Visible
7m
Max height
53°
Brightness
−1.9 bright
Appears → Leaves
NW → ESE
60° 30° NESW rise
Where to look — the arc across your sky
Ground track — the path beneath the Station
Mon 27 Jul 21:46
Visible
3m
Max height
12°
Brightness
+2.5 very faint
Appears → Leaves
WSW → SSW
60° 30° NESW rise
Where to look — the arc across your sky
Ground track — the path beneath the Station
Tue 28 Jul 20:58
Visible
5m
Max height
22°
Brightness
+0.1 faint
Appears → Leaves
W → S
60° 30° NESW rise
Where to look — the arc across your sky
Ground track — the path beneath the Station
See it live from your exact spot Get pass alerts on your phone

How to read this

  • Max height — how high the ISS climbs above the horizon at its peak, in degrees (90° is straight overhead). Higher passes are brighter and easier to spot.
  • Brightness — apparent magnitude; lower (more negative) is brighter. At its best the ISS outshines every star.
  • Appears → Leaves — the compass direction it rises from and sets toward. The station always tracks roughly west-to-east.

Want the underlying mechanics? Read how to spot the ISS, why passes only happen at dawn and dusk, and how the station's brightness is worked out.

Frequently asked

When is the ISS visible from Busan?

The next visible pass over Busan is on Tue 21 Jul at 21:40 local time, climbing to 20° above the horizon. The station is only visible when it is sunlit and your sky is dark — around dawn and dusk — so favourable windows come in clusters of a few days, then disappear for a week or two as the orbit drifts.

Which direction should I look to see the ISS from Busan?

For the next pass, look toward the NNW as it rises and follow it across to the E. The ISS always travels roughly west-to-east and crosses in two to six minutes — no telescope needed, it looks like a bright, steady star moving steadily across the sky. From Busan, the ISS can pass directly overhead, so it may appear in any part of the sky.

How bright does the ISS get over Busan?

At its best in this window the station reaches magnitude −2.3 (bright) — bright enough to outshine every star and most planets. The higher it climbs and the closer it passes to overhead, the brighter it appears.

Are these ISS pass times accurate?

Yes — they are computed from the latest published orbital element set (TLE) using the standard SGP4 model, the same maths professional tracking tools use. Times are shown in Busan's local clock and refreshed continuously as a newer element set is published. For a live sky view and a phone-pointing AR mode, use the tracker on the home page.

Coordinates 35.18°N, 129.08°E · orbital data updated · computed with the SGP4 model.