Sightings

See the ISS over Cologne

Germany · local time

The International Space Station makes 3 visible passes over Cologne 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 Cologne's local clock.

At 50.9°N, Cologne sits near the edge of the ISS's 51.6° orbital band. The Station still climbs high — close to overhead on the best passes — but it leans toward the southern sky, so favour that side. Read why the ISS orbits at 51.6°.

Across the current forecast window the ISS makes 3 visible passes from Cologne: the best climbs to 40°, the brightest reaches magnitude −1.5 (bright), most appear from the W, and they last about 5 minutes on average.

Tue 21 Jul 22:21
Visible
6m 30s
Max height
40°
Brightness
−1.5 bright
Appears → Leaves
W → SE
60° 30° NESW rise
Where to look — the arc across your sky
Ground track — the path beneath the Station
Wed 22 Jul 23:11
Visible
4m
Max height
15°
Brightness
+0.0 faint
Appears → Leaves
WSW → S
60° 30° NESW rise
Where to look — the arc across your sky
Ground track — the path beneath the Station
Thu 23 Jul 22:23
Visible
5m 30s
Max height
21°
Brightness
−0.4 moderate
Appears → Leaves
W → SSE
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 Cologne?

The next visible pass over Cologne is on Tue 21 Jul at 22:21 local time, climbing to 40° 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 Cologne?

For the next pass, look toward the W as it rises and follow it across to the SE. 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 Cologne, the highest passes lean toward the south, though the station can still climb close to overhead.

How bright does the ISS get over Cologne?

At its best in this window the station reaches magnitude −1.5 (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 Cologne'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 50.94°N, 6.96°E · orbital data updated · computed with the SGP4 model.