SkyAlmanac

ISS

ISS passes over Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom

Upcoming visible passes of the International Space Station over Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom. A pass is "visible" when the station is sunlit against a dark sky.

Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom sits at 54.6° latitude, poleward of the ISS orbit, so the station never climbs above roughly 50° over the southern horizon here. Pick a spot with an open view in that direction.

Upcoming visible passes over Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom

Loading ISS passes…

Another city or date

Spotting the Space Station

The ISS looks like a bright, steady star gliding across the sky in a few minutes — no blinking lights. It is only visible when it is still catching sunlight while your sky is dark, so passes cluster in the couple of hours after dusk and before dawn.

Visibility comes in streaks: the orbit precesses, so a city gets a run of evening passes for a week or two, then a quiet spell, then a run of pre-dawn passes. If nothing is listed right now, check back within a few days.

Data: N2YO, Meeus astronomical algorithms. How we calculate this

Frequently asked questions

How high in the sky does the ISS get over Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom?

From Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom (latitude 54.6°) the ISS never rises above about 50° over the southern horizon, because the station's orbit is inclined 51.6° to the equator. Passes here always hug that side of the sky.

How often can you see the ISS from Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom?

The station orbits every ~93 minutes, but you only see it when it is sunlit against a dark sky. Visible passes come in runs of several evenings or mornings every few weeks, with 1–3 sightings per night during a run.

What does the ISS look like?

A bright, steady, fast-moving star — often brighter than Venus — crossing the sky in 2–6 minutes. It does not blink; anything flashing is an aircraft.

More for Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom

Golden hourbest light of the day The Moon todayphase, moonrise and moonset Northern lightsaurora forecast for the city Stargazinglight pollution and dark-sky quality Meteor showerscalendar of shooting stars

Near Belfast