Orbit

What can I see in the sky tonight over Belfast?

Worked out for Belfast city centre (54.60°N, 5.93°W), with times in UK time. Anywhere within roughly 15 km sees almost the same thing, a minute or so earlier or later. The ISS and Tiangong are bright enough to see from a city centre; Starlink trains and Hubble are fainter and need a darker sky away from street lights.

Belfast city centreUse your exact location instead

Tonight over Belfast

Sunset 19:09Dark from 19:45Light again 06:44

Waning gibbous, 98% lit

Nothing bright tonight. Nothing else visible this week either: check back after the next launch.

No meteor shower peak tonight. Waning gibbous, 98% lit.

The next 7 nights

  1. Tonight · Sun 27 Sept

    98% lit

    Nothing bright tonight. Nothing else visible this week either: check back after the next launch.

  2. Tomorrow night · Mon 28 Sept

    93% lit

    Nothing bright this night. Nothing else visible this week either: check back after the next launch.

  3. Tuesday · Tue 29 Sept

    87% lit

    Nothing bright this night. Nothing else visible this week either: check back after the next launch.

  4. Wednesday · Wed 30 Sept

    78% lit

    Nothing bright this night. Nothing else visible this week either: check back after the next launch.

  5. Thursday · Thu 1 Oct

    68% lit

    Nothing bright this night. Nothing else visible this week either: check back after the next launch.

  6. Friday · Fri 2 Oct

    56% lit

    Nothing bright this night. Nothing else visible this week either: check back after the next launch.

  7. Saturday · Sat 3 Oct

    45% lit

    Nothing bright this night. Nothing else visible this week either: check back after the next launch.

Launches this week

Where is the ISS right now? Live ISS map

Launch sites nearest Belfast

  • SaxaVord: 756 km NNE. Night launches may be visible from Belfast.
  • Andøya: 1,973 km NNE. Too far to see.
  • Esrange: 2,036 km NNE. Too far to see.

From a straight-climb model of each site’s usual launch direction, for a night launch in a clear sky. An estimate.

Questions about the sky over Belfast

When can I next see the ISS from Belfast?
No visible ISS pass from Belfast in the next 7 nights. The ISS is only visible when it crosses a dark sky while still in sunlight, so visible passes come in runs of several days every few weeks. This page updates every hour.
Can I see a Starlink train from Belfast this week?
No Starlink train is expected over Belfast in the next 7 nights. Trains are only visible for a few days after a launch, before the satellites spread out and climb to their working orbit.
What phase is the Moon tonight in Belfast?
Waning gibbous, 98% lit. A bright Moon washes out faint satellites and meteors, but the ISS is still easy to see.
Are there any meteor showers visible from Belfast this week?
No major meteor shower peaks in the next 7 nights. The next peak will appear here once it is within a week.
Can I see Tiangong or Hubble from Belfast?
Not in the next 7 nights. Tiangong, China's space station, passes over Belfast less often than the ISS, and Hubble's orbit keeps it low or below the horizon from the British Isles.
Can I see rocket launches from Belfast?
Sometimes. SaxaVord is 756 km to the NNE, close enough that a night launch from there may be visible from Belfast a few minutes after lift-off, if the sky is clear. The sky forecast above flags any launch with a firm time. It is an estimate from the site's distance and a typical climb.