Sightings

See the ISS over Riyadh

Saudi Arabia · local time

The International Space Station makes 5 visible passes over Riyadh 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 Riyadh's local clock.

Sun 5 Jul 19:52
Visible
6m 30s
Max height
43°
Brightness
−2.2 bright
Appears → Leaves
SSW → NE
60° 30° NESW rise
Where to look — the arc across your sky
Ground track — the path beneath the Station
Sun 5 Jul 21:31
Visible
2m 30s
Max height
11°
Brightness
+5.9 very faint
Appears → Leaves
WNW → NNW
60° 30° NESW rise
Where to look — the arc across your sky
Ground track — the path beneath the Station
Mon 6 Jul 04:06
Visible
3m
Max height
13°
Brightness
+5.6 very faint
Appears → Leaves
NNE → ENE
60° 30° NESW rise
Where to look — the arc across your sky
Ground track — the path beneath the Station
Mon 6 Jul 20:42
Visible
5m 30s
Max height
20°
Brightness
+3.8 very faint
Appears → Leaves
W → NNE
60° 30° NESW rise
Where to look — the arc across your sky
Ground track — the path beneath the Station
Tue 7 Jul 19:53
Visible
6m 30s
Max height
38°
Brightness
+2.0 faint
Appears → Leaves
WSW → NNE
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 Riyadh?

The next visible pass over Riyadh is on Sun 5 Jul at 19:52 local time, climbing to 43° 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 Riyadh?

For the next pass, look toward the SSW as it rises and follow it across to the NE. 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 Riyadh?

At its best in this window the station reaches magnitude −2.2 (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 Riyadh'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 24.71°N, 46.68°E · orbital data updated · computed with the SGP4 model.