Sightings

See the ISS over Houston

United States · local time

The International Space Station makes 11 visible passes over Houston 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 Houston's local clock.

At 29.8°N, Houston 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 11 visible passes from Houston: the best climbs to 81°, the brightest reaches magnitude −2.3 (bright), most appear from the NNW, and they last about 6 minutes on average.

Tue 21 Jul 23:12
Visible
6m
Max height
25°
Brightness
+5.0 very 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 22:25
Visible
4m
Max height
15°
Brightness
+2.2 very faint
Appears → Leaves
N → ENE
60° 30° NESW rise
Where to look — the arc across your sky
Ground track — the path beneath the Station
Thu 23 Jul 23:13
Visible
7m
Max height
81°
Brightness
+5.9 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
Fri 24 Jul 22:26
Visible
6m 30s
Max height
46°
Brightness
+1.8 faint
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 21:39
Visible
5m 30s
Max height
25°
Brightness
−0.4 moderate
Appears → Leaves
NNW → E
60° 30° NESW rise
Where to look — the arc across your sky
Ground track — the path beneath the Station
Sun 26 Jul 20:52
Visible
4m
Max height
15°
Brightness
+0.0 faint
Appears → Leaves
N → ENE
60° 30° NESW rise
Where to look — the arc across your sky
Ground track — the path beneath the Station
Sun 26 Jul 22:27
Visible
6m 30s
Max height
39°
Brightness
+2.4 very faint
Appears → Leaves
WNW → SSE
60° 30° NESW rise
Where to look — the arc across your sky
Ground track — the path beneath the Station
Mon 27 Jul 21:40
Visible
7m
Max height
80°
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
Tue 28 Jul 20:52
Visible
6m 30s
Max height
46°
Brightness
−1.7 bright
Appears → Leaves
NNW → ESE
60° 30° NESW rise
Where to look — the arc across your sky
Ground track — the path beneath the Station
Wed 29 Jul 21:42
Visible
5m 30s
Max height
20°
Brightness
+0.4 faint
Appears → Leaves
WNW → S
60° 30° NESW rise
Where to look — the arc across your sky
Ground track — the path beneath the Station
Thu 30 Jul 20:54
Visible
6m 30s
Max height
40°
Brightness
−0.7 moderate
Appears → Leaves
WNW → 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 Houston?

The next visible pass over Houston is on Tue 21 Jul at 23:12 local time, climbing to 25° 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 Houston?

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 Houston, the ISS can pass directly overhead, so it may appear in any part of the sky.

How bright does the ISS get over Houston?

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 Houston'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 29.76°N, 95.37°W · orbital data updated · computed with the SGP4 model.