Satellite Spotting Guide

• Appearance: Point of light like a star, usually white or slightly yellowish. Brightness varies from barely visible to brighter than the brightest stars. The ISS can reach magnitude -3.9, brighter than everything except the Moon, Venus, and occasionally Jupiter.
• Movement: Steady, smooth motion in a straight line. Speed appears constant (though actual speed is 17,000+ mph in orbit). Crosses from one side of sky to another in 2-6 minutes typically.
• Sound: Completely silent. Satellites are 100+ miles high - far too distant to hear. If you hear it, it's an airplane.
• Brightness Changes: May fade in/out or change brightness as it crosses the sky. This happens when the satellite rotates and reflects different amounts of sunlight, or when it enters/exits Earth's shadow.
• No Blinking: Steady light. Airplanes have blinking red/white/green navigation lights. Satellites reflect sunlight steadily like a moving star.

Prime Satellite Watching Windows:

• Evening Twilight (30 min to 2 hours after sunset): Most popular time. Sky is dark but satellites overhead are still illuminated. Casual viewers find this most convenient. More satellites visible early in this window.
• Morning Twilight (2 hours to 30 min before sunrise): Often has clearer skies than evening. Fewer people watch, but equally good viewing. Sky brightens as sunrise approaches.
• Deep Night (Not Ideal): Fewer satellites visible because many are in Earth's shadow. The brightest satellites like ISS can still be seen if they're high enough to catch sunlight. Most satellites disappear mid-pass as they enter shadow.

• Clear Skies Required: Clouds will block satellites. Need at least 70% clear sky for good viewing. Check weather forecast for clear evenings.
• Light Pollution Matters: Dark skies show more satellites. City dwellers can still see bright satellites (ISS, Starlink trains), but rural areas reveal dozens more. Even modest satellites become visible under dark skies.
• Moon Phase: Bright Moon washes out dimmer satellites but doesn't prevent seeing bright ones. New Moon weeks are best for spotting faint satellites. Full Moon weeks limit viewing to brightest objects.
• Atmospheric Clarity: After rain or cold fronts, atmosphere is clearer. Hazy, humid nights reduce visibility. High altitude locations offer clearer views.

1. 1.
   Set Your Location: Enter your exact location or let the app use GPS. Predictions are location-specific - a satellite visible in New York might not be visible in Los Angeles.
2. 2.
   Browse Upcoming Passes: Apps show list of satellites passing over your location in the next days. Look for passes with high maximum altitude (above 40°) and bright magnitude (negative numbers, lower is brighter).
3. 3.
   Note the Details: Each prediction shows start time, direction satellite appears from, maximum altitude, disappearance direction, duration, and brightness. Example: "ISS - Start: 7:42 PM WSW, Max alt: 67°, Ends: 7:48 PM ENE, Mag: -3.5"
4. 4.
   Set Alerts: Enable notifications so you don't miss good passes. Most apps alert 15-30 minutes before.
5. 5.
   Use Sky Map/AR: Minutes before the pass, use the app's sky map or AR view to see exactly where to look. Point your phone at the sky - the app overlays satellite position.

• Formation: Satellites are launched together and initially travel in a close string before spreading out to operational orbits. Spacing is typically 10-30 seconds apart - you see one satellite, then another, then another, all following the same path.
• Duration: The train can take 5-15 minutes to fully pass overhead. First satellite appears, then the rest follow in succession. Count how many you can see!
• Brightness: Newly-launched Starlink satellites are very bright, often magnitude 1-2 (similar to stars in the Big Dipper). After reaching operational orbit, they dim significantly as they orient edge-on to reduce reflections.
• Visibility Window: Trains are visible for about 1-3 weeks after launch. After that, satellites spread out and are harder to distinguish from other satellites.

Step-by-Step:

1. 1.
   Check Launch Schedule: Visit our launches page or SpaceX.com to see when the next Starlink launch is scheduled. Launches happen 1-3 times per month.
2. 2.
   Wait 1-2 Days: Starlink trains are typically visible starting 24-48 hours after launch, once they raise their orbit slightly.
3. 3.
   Use Tracking Tools: FindStarlink.com is dedicated to Starlink predictions. Enter your location for precise pass times. Heavens-Above also shows Starlink trains. ISS Detector app has Starlink extension.
4. 4.
   Pick a Good Pass: Look for passes with high altitude (50°+) during evening or morning twilight for best visibility.
5. 5.
   Watch the Whole Train: The first satellite appears at the predicted time and direction. Keep watching - more satellites follow the same path. Count them! Recent launches have 20-50+ satellites.

• Date and Time: When did you see it?
• Satellite Name: ISS, Starlink train, Hubble, etc.
• Location: Where were you watching from?
• Brightness: Estimate magnitude or describe (bright as Polaris, dimmer than Big Dipper, etc.)
• Path: Which direction it traveled (SW to NE, W to E, etc.)
• Notes: Any interesting observations (flares, fading, color changes)