Sightings

See the ISS over Madrid

Spain · local time

The International Space Station makes 12 visible passes over Madrid 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 Madrid's local clock.

Fri 17 Jul 23:55
Visible
5m
Max height
19°
Brightness
+1.3 faint
Appears → Leaves
NNW → ENE
60° 30° NESW rise
Where to look — the arc across your sky
Ground track — the path beneath the Station
Sat 18 Jul 01:31
Visible
7m
Max height
77°
Brightness
+4.0 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
Sat 18 Jul 23:07
Visible
4m 30s
Max height
16°
Brightness
+1.3 faint
Appears → Leaves
NNW → ENE
60° 30° NESW rise
Where to look — the arc across your sky
Ground track — the path beneath the Station
Sun 19 Jul 00:43
Visible
7m
Max height
53°
Brightness
+2.9 very faint
Appears → Leaves
NW → ESE
60° 30° NESW rise
Where to look — the arc across your sky
Ground track — the path beneath the Station
Sun 19 Jul 22:20
Visible
3m 30s
Max height
14°
Brightness
+1.7 faint
Appears → Leaves
NNW → NE
60° 30° NESW rise
Where to look — the arc across your sky
Ground track — the path beneath the Station
Sun 19 Jul 23:56
Visible
6m
Max height
35°
Brightness
+0.2 faint
Appears → Leaves
NW → E
60° 30° NESW rise
Where to look — the arc across your sky
Ground track — the path beneath the Station
Mon 20 Jul 23:09
Visible
5m 30s
Max height
25°
Brightness
+0.1 faint
Appears → Leaves
NNW → E
60° 30° NESW rise
Where to look — the arc across your sky
Ground track — the path beneath the Station
Tue 21 Jul 00:45
Visible
6m 30s
Max height
50°
Brightness
+3.0 very faint
Appears → Leaves
WNW → SE
60° 30° NESW rise
Where to look — the arc across your sky
Ground track — the path beneath the Station
Tue 21 Jul 22:21
Visible
5m
Max height
19°
Brightness
+0.4 faint
Appears → Leaves
NNW → ENE
60° 30° NESW rise
Where to look — the arc across your sky
Ground track — the path beneath the Station
Tue 21 Jul 23:58
Visible
6m 30s
Max height
84°
Brightness
+0.0 faint
Appears → Leaves
NW → SE
60° 30° NESW rise
Where to look — the arc across your sky
Ground track — the path beneath the Station
Wed 22 Jul 23:10
Visible
6m 30s
Max height
54°
Brightness
−1.7 bright
Appears → Leaves
NW → ESE
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
6m 30s
Max height
35°
Brightness
−0.8 moderate
Appears → Leaves
NW → E
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 Madrid?

The next visible pass over Madrid is on Fri 17 Jul at 23:55 local time, climbing to 19° 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 Madrid?

For the next pass, look toward the NNW 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.

How bright does the ISS get over Madrid?

At its best in this window the station reaches magnitude −1.7 (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 Madrid'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 40.42°N, 3.70°W · orbital data updated · computed with the SGP4 model.