See the ISS over Chennai
The International Space Station makes 2 visible passes over Chennai 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 Chennai's local clock.
At 13.1°N, Chennai 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 2 visible passes from Chennai: the best climbs to 66°, the brightest reaches magnitude +1.1 (faint), most appear from the NE, and they last about 4 minutes on average.
- Visible
- 2m
- Max height
- 11°
- Brightness
- +1.1 faint
- Appears → Leaves
- NE → ENE
- Visible
- 6m 30s
- Max height
- 66°
- Brightness
- +4.9 very faint
- Appears → Leaves
- NW → SSE
Every pass in this list has already happened — a fresh forecast is generated automatically. Reload in a little while, or use the live tracker for your exact location.
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 Chennai?
The next visible pass over Chennai is on Wed 29 Jul at 19:52 local time, climbing to 11° 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 Chennai?
For the next pass, look toward the NE as it rises and follow it across to the ENE. 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 Chennai, the ISS can pass directly overhead, so it may appear in any part of the sky.
How bright does the ISS get over Chennai?
At its best in this window the station reaches magnitude +1.1 (faint) — 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 Chennai'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 13.08°N, 80.27°E · orbital data updated · computed with the SGP4 model.