Sightings

See the ISS over Marseille

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

Sun 28 Jun 02:49
Visible
7m
Max height
77°
Brightness
+0.1 faint
Appears → Leaves
WSW → ENE
60° 30° NESW rise
Where to look — the arc across your sky
Ground track — the path beneath the Station
Sun 28 Jun 04:27
Visible
5m 30s
Max height
24°
Brightness
+0.8 faint
Appears → Leaves
WNW → NE
60° 30° NESW rise
Where to look — the arc across your sky
Ground track — the path beneath the Station
Mon 29 Jun 02:01
Visible
6m 30s
Max height
56°
Brightness
+1.9 faint
Appears → Leaves
SW → ENE
60° 30° NESW rise
Where to look — the arc across your sky
Ground track — the path beneath the Station
Mon 29 Jun 03:38
Visible
6m
Max height
30°
Brightness
+0.5 faint
Appears → Leaves
W → NE
60° 30° NESW rise
Where to look — the arc across your sky
Ground track — the path beneath the Station
Mon 29 Jun 05:16
Visible
5m
Max height
19°
Brightness
+1.5 faint
Appears → Leaves
NW → NE
60° 30° NESW rise
Where to look — the arc across your sky
Ground track — the path beneath the Station
Tue 30 Jun 02:50
Visible
6m 30s
Max height
39°
Brightness
+0.6 faint
Appears → Leaves
W → NE
60° 30° NESW rise
Where to look — the arc across your sky
Ground track — the path beneath the Station
Tue 30 Jun 04:28
Visible
5m
Max height
20°
Brightness
+1.6 faint
Appears → Leaves
NW → NE
60° 30° NESW rise
Where to look — the arc across your sky
Ground track — the path beneath the Station
Wed 1 Jul 02:02
Visible
6m 30s
Max height
57°
Brightness
+2.0 faint
Appears → Leaves
WSW → NE
60° 30° NESW rise
Where to look — the arc across your sky
Ground track — the path beneath the Station
Wed 1 Jul 03:40
Visible
5m 30s
Max height
21°
Brightness
+1.7 faint
Appears → Leaves
WNW → NE
60° 30° NESW rise
Where to look — the arc across your sky
Ground track — the path beneath the Station
Wed 1 Jul 05:18
Visible
5m 30s
Max height
22°
Brightness
+1.8 faint
Appears → Leaves
NW → ENE
60° 30° NESW rise
Where to look — the arc across your sky
Ground track — the path beneath the Station
Thu 2 Jul 01:14
Visible
6m 30s
Max height
87°
Brightness
+1.8 faint
Appears → Leaves
SW → ENE
60° 30° NESW rise
Where to look — the arc across your sky
Ground track — the path beneath the Station
Thu 2 Jul 02:52
Visible
5m 30s
Max height
25°
Brightness
+1.7 faint
Appears → Leaves
WNW → NE
60° 30° NESW rise
Where to look — the arc across your sky
Ground track — the path beneath the Station

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 Marseille?

The next visible pass over Marseille is on Sun 28 Jun at 02:49 local time, climbing to 77° 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 Marseille?

For the next pass, look toward the WSW 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 Marseille?

At its best in this window the station reaches magnitude +0.1 (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 Marseille'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 43.30°N, 5.37°E · orbital data updated · computed with the SGP4 model.