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Starlink Satellite Tracker: See the Next Pass Over Your Location
Starlink is SpaceX‘s satellite internet constellation, currently made up of thousands of satellites in low Earth orbit. Unlike traditional communication satellites that sit in a fixed position roughly 36,000 km above the equator, Starlink satellites orbit much closer to Earth — at an altitude of around 550 km — completing a full orbit in roughly 95 minutes. This low altitude is what makes Starlink internet fast, but it’s also why the satellites are visible from the ground under the right conditions.
This tracker uses live orbital data to show which Starlink satellites are currently overhead or approaching your location, so you can plan when to look up.
What you’re seeing in the sky
Shortly after a launch, a batch of 20 to 60 satellites travels in a tight line — often called a “Starlink train” — before gradually spreading out into their operational orbits over the following days and weeks. This train formation is the most recognizable and most searched-for sighting, since it looks distinct from a single satellite or aircraft passing overhead.
Once satellites reach their final orbits, they’re harder to pick out individually, though a bright pass is still visible as a steady, fast-moving point of light — not blinking like aircraft, and not flickering like a star.
When and how to see them
Satellites don’t emit their own light — they’re visible because they reflect sunlight while the ground below is already dark. The best viewing window is during nautical twilight, roughly 45 to 90 minutes after sunset or before sunrise. Outside that window, satellites are either in Earth’s shadow (too dark to see) or the sky itself is too bright.
A clear sky and minimal light pollution significantly improve visibility, especially for older or dimmer satellites. Newer Starlink satellites use darkening treatments to reduce their brightness and limit their impact on ground-based astronomy, so recently launched batches tend to be fainter than older ones.
Use the map above to check upcoming passes for your location, and look for a steady point of light moving in a straight line across the sky during twilight hours.
FAQs
A straight line of evenly spaced lights moving at a constant speed and altitude is almost always a Starlink train, especially in the days following a launch. Genuine unexplained sightings don’t typically move in this kind of uniform formation.
The constellation is actively growing with regular launches, so the exact count changes frequently. Check SpaceX’s own updates or a live satellite-tracking database for the current figure.
Yes, during twilight hours under clear, dark-sky conditions. No telescope or binoculars are needed, though they help for spotting fainter or more dispersed satellites.
Newly deployed satellites travel close together in their initial orbit, which makes the combined “train” effect easier to spot than any single satellite once they’ve spread out.
No. Daytime sky brightness makes them impossible to see without a telescope, even though they’re still in orbit and reflecting sunlight.
Yes, to some degree — astronomers have raised concerns about satellite trails affecting long-exposure telescope images. SpaceX has introduced brightness-reducing measures on newer satellites in response.
Because they orbit at around 550 km altitude, they cross the visible sky in about 3 to 5 minutes per pass, moving noticeably faster than a commercial aircraft.