- Appears
- 19:59 · 0° up in the NNW
- Highest
- 42° in the NE
- Disappears
- 20:09 · 2° up in the ESE
- Visible for
- 10m 12s
- Brightness
- magnitude -2.7
- Closest
- 620 km
Visible passes
The ISS over Melbourne
Next visible pass 10 October 2026 at 19:59, 42° up in the NE.
The station is bright enough to be unmistakable — brighter than any star, moving steadily, never blinking. It crosses Melbourne 7.2 times a day on average, but you can only see it when three things line up at once: it is above your horizon, it is still in sunlight up at 420 km, and the sky down here has already gone dark. That is why sightings cluster in the couple of hours after dusk and before dawn.
7 visible passes in the next five days, out of 36 that go over at all.
10 October 2026
- Appears
- 21:36 · 0° up in the W
- Highest
- 23° in the SSW
- Disappears
- 21:42 · 21° up in the S
- Visible for
- 6m 08s
- Brightness
- magnitude -0.3
- Closest
- 944 km
It does not set — it fades out 21° above the horizon, which is the station crossing into Earth's shadow while still well up in your sky.
11 October 2026
- Appears
- 20:48 · 0° up in the WNW
- Highest
- 35° in the SSW
- Disappears
- 20:58 · 7° up in the SE
- Visible for
- 9m 09s
- Brightness
- magnitude -1.0
- Closest
- 713 km
12 October 2026
- Appears
- 20:01 · 0° up in the WNW
- Highest
- 57° in the SW
- Disappears
- 20:12 · 1° up in the SE
- Visible for
- 10m 36s
- Brightness
- magnitude -2.1
- Closest
- 503 km
- Appears
- 21:39 · 0° up in the WSW
- Highest
- 13° in the SSW
- Disappears
- 21:46 · 9° up in the SSE
- Visible for
- 6m 37s
- Brightness
- magnitude 0.6
- Closest
- 1349 km
13 October 2026
- Appears
- 20:51 · 0° up in the W
- Highest
- 17° in the SSW
- Disappears
- 21:01 · 2° up in the SE
- Visible for
- 9m 20s
- Brightness
- magnitude 0.3
- Closest
- 1167 km
14 October 2026
- Appears
- 20:04 · 0° up in the W
- Highest
- 23° in the SSW
- Disappears
- 20:14 · 2° up in the SE
- Visible for
- 9m 54s
- Brightness
- magnitude -0.2
- Closest
- 954 km
How to watch
No equipment. Be outside a couple of minutes early, look towards the direction given above, and wait for a steady white point to climb out of the horizon. It moves about as fast as a high aircraft but shows no flashing lights and makes no sound. A pass takes a few minutes from edge to edge.
Passes below 10° are left out: at that height the station is behind whatever buildings and trees you actually have, and there is enough air in the way to dim it well below the brightness quoted here.
Computed with SGP4 from orbital elements issued 11 hours ago by CelesTrak, refreshed every hour. Element sets decay, and the station manoeuvres — times more than a few days out will shift. Also see what else is visible tonight from Melbourne.