WHERE CAN YOU SEE THE ISS FROM?

Published 13 September 2026 · Updated 13 September 2026

Which countries can see the ISS?

Almost all of them. The International Space Station orbits at an inclination of 51.6 degrees, so it passes directly over every part of the planet between 51.6° north and 51.6° south. And because it is visible from a long way off — at 400 km altitude its visibility circle has a radius of about 2,200 km — it can also be seen from well beyond that band, north and south. In practice: from anywhere inhabited except the Arctic interior and Antarctica.

What does a 51.6-degree inclination mean?

It is the angle between the orbital plane and the equator. A 0° inclination would be a pure equatorial orbit; 90° would be a polar orbit passing over both poles. The ISS sits in between, and that figure was not chosen at random.

The main reason is the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, where Soyuz spacecraft launch from. It sits at 45.6° north, and a rocket cannot reach an orbit less inclined than its launch latitude without burning a great deal of extra fuel. Add the need to drop spent stages away from populated areas, and you get 51.6°.

The side effect is lucky for observers: that band covers the overwhelming majority of the world's population.

Is your city inside the band?

Passing straight overhead and being visible are not the same thing. Here are some reference cities:

Why does London see it more often than Bogotá?

Pure geometry. The orbital ground track draws a wave across the map, climbing to 51.6° north, turning, and dropping to 51.6° south. Near those two extremes the wave flattens out and successive passes bunch close together, while over the equator the track crosses fast and widely spaced.

The result is that mid-to-high latitudes — southern Europe, much of the United States, Argentina, New Zealand — get more chances to spot the station than equatorial cities, even though it flies directly over the latter.

Can you see it from the North Pole or Antarctica?

Essentially no. Above roughly 65-70 degrees of latitude the ISS never climbs high enough above the horizon to be comfortably visible, and deep inside the polar caps it simply does not appear. The northernmost coastal Antarctic bases are the limit in the southern hemisphere.

Being inside the band is not enough

The ISS passing over your head is necessary but not sufficient. To see it with the naked eye three things must happen at once: it must be above your horizon, you must already be in darkness, and it must still be catching direct sunlight.

That narrows your chances to a short window after sunset and another before dawn. For the rest of the night the station crosses Earth's shadow and stays invisible even when it flies right overhead. We explain it step by step in our guide to spotting the ISS with the naked eye.

Frequently asked questions

Can you see the ISS from the United Kingdom?

Yes, and from right at the sweet spot. London sits at 51.5° north, almost exactly on the orbital limit, which means the station reaches the zenith and the passes bunch together: some of the brightest and most frequent viewing anywhere.

Can you see it from Latin America?

From all of it. Mexico, Central America, Colombia, Peru, Chile and Argentina sit comfortably inside the orbital band. Only the far south of Patagonia begins to rise above the 51.6° limit, and even there it remains visible.

Do I need a telescope?

No. With the naked eye it looks like a very bright white dot crossing the sky in a few minutes without blinking. It is usually one of the brightest objects in the night sky.

Does the inclination change over time?

Not appreciably. The 51.6° figure stays stable; what does vary is altitude, which decays slowly through atmospheric drag and is corrected with periodic reboosts.

How do I know what time it passes over my city?

Sync your location on the tracker on the homepage: it computes the next visible passes from where you are, right in your browser, with exact time, duration and which part of the sky to look at.