Orbit

What can I see in the sky tonight over London?

Worked out for central London (51.51°N, 0.13°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.

central LondonUse your exact location instead

Tonight over London

Sunset 18:49Dark from 19:23Light again 06:21

Full moon, 100% lit

Nothing bright tonight. Next: ISS, tomorrow night 19:34.

No meteor shower peak tonight. Full moon, 100% lit.

The next 7 nights

  1. Tonight · Sat 26 Sept

    100% lit

    Nothing bright tonight. Next: ISS, tomorrow night 19:34.

  2. Tomorrow night · Sun 27 Sept

    98% lit

  3. Monday · Mon 28 Sept

    93% lit

    Nothing bright this night. Next: ISS, Tuesday 19:37.

  4. Tuesday · Tue 29 Sept

    87% lit

  5. Wednesday · Wed 30 Sept

    78% lit

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

  6. Thursday · Thu 1 Oct

    68% lit

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

  7. Friday · Fri 2 Oct

    57% 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 London

  • SaxaVord: 1,036 km N. At best a rocket would just clear the horizon.
  • Andøya: 2,151 km NNE. Too far to see.
  • Esrange: 2,152 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 London

When can I next see the ISS from London?
The next visible pass of the International Space Station over London is on Sunday 27 September at 19:34 (UK time), appearing in the W and climbing to 23°, visible for 5 min. There is 1 more visible pass in the next 7 nights.
Can I see a Starlink train from London this week?
No Starlink train is expected over London 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 London?
Full moon, 100% 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 London 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 London?
Not in the next 7 nights. Tiangong, China's space station, passes over London 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 London?
Rarely, and only low on the horizon. SaxaVord is 1,036 km to the N; a rocket climbing from there would, at best, just clear the N horizon as seen from London, so you would need a clear, flat view that way. Launches from Florida, French Guiana and California are far below the horizon from here.