When to See the ISS in November 2026

Published October 24, 2026 · Updated October 24, 2026

The International Space Station isn't visible every night: it shows up in stretches of one to three weeks, sometimes after sunset and sometimes before dawn. This report tells you when it comes around your city in November, at what times and which night is best, so you're not scanning the sky blind.

In short: in most of the US, as well as in Toronto and London, November opens with a few pre-dawn passes between the 1st and the 4th. Then, starting somewhere between the 9th and the 12th, a long evening season begins, roughly between 4:45 and 7:40 p.m., and it lasts until the end of the month. Houston and Los Angeles get two shorter evening windows instead: one in the first half of the month (Nov. 7–12 in Houston, Nov. 7–15 in Los Angeles) and another in the last few days (from Nov. 28 in Houston, from Nov. 26 in Los Angeles). In Sydney the station shows up before dawn from Nov. 14 to 28, and in Singapore the evening passes come early, from Nov. 2 to 7.

US and Canadian clocks fall back one hour on Sunday, November 1, 2026 (the UK already changed on October 25). The times below are local and already account for it.

November nights, city by city

Times are local to each city. Only visible passes count: the station lit by the Sun, the sky already dark and at least 10° above the horizon.

United States

Canada, the UK, Australia and Singapore

How to read the table

When to look groups consecutive nights with at least one visible pass. The number in parentheses is the total number of passes in that window: some nights have two, about ninety minutes apart, which is how long the station takes to circle the Earth once.

Best pass of the month is the one that climbs highest above the horizon. Height is measured in degrees: 90° is straight overhead, and from about 40° up, the station looks high and very bright. The letters show where it appears and where it leaves (NW, northwest; SE, southeast...). If that's hard to follow, how to read an ISS pass walks you through it step by step.

Why the ISS is visible in seasons

The station doesn't give off its own light: we see it because it reflects sunlight. For it to be visible, two things have to line up: it has to be dark where you are, and the station, 400 km (250 miles) up, still has to be in sunlight. That only happens in the hours around dusk and dawn.

On top of that, the ISS's orbit slowly shifts relative to the Sun. For a few weeks, its passes over your city fall in those good hours, and then they drift into full daylight or the middle of the night, when you can't see it. That's why the windows alternate: a few weeks in the evening, a gap with no passes, then another season before dawn.

Latitude matters too. In November, cities in the Northern Hemisphere have long nights, and from New York, Chicago, Toronto, Seattle or London the evening season runs for about three weeks. In Sydney, summer is on the way, the nights are short and the visible passes come before dawn. Singapore, almost on the equator, gets only short windows of under a week.

What's happening on the station this month

November is a busy one. There are two spacewalks on the US segment, one on October 29 and another on November 5. The Russian cargo ship Progress MS-36 is set to launch on November 24, still to be confirmed, and Cygnus NG-25 is also planned for this month, with no set day. Everything is listed, with up-to-date times, in the ISS schedule.

Dockings don't change what you'll see from the ground, but the engine burns that raise the orbit do shift the times by a few minutes. One more reason to check the time the day before.

Tips for spotting it in November

• Bundle up and head out five minutes early. November nights are cold in North America and the UK, and your eyes need a few minutes to adjust to the dark.
• Look for a dot that doesn't blink. The station is a very bright white dot that crosses the sky in a few minutes, with no colored lights; if it blinks, it's a plane.
• On evening passes, it can vanish in the middle of the sky. It hasn't gone behind anything: it has entered the Earth's shadow. That's normal in the later evening windows.
• You don't need to leave the city. It's so bright you can see it even through light pollution. If you want to photograph it, how to photograph the ISS has the settings for cameras and phones.

Frequently asked questions

Which nights can you see the ISS from the US in November 2026?

In most of the country, before dawn from November 1 to 4, and in the evening from about November 9 to 11 through the end of the month, roughly between 4:45 and 7:40 p.m. local time. Houston and Los Angeles are the exception: their evening windows run from November 7 to 12 in Houston and to 15 in Los Angeles, and again over the last few days of the month.

And from Canada, the UK or Australia?

From Toronto, a few pre-dawn passes on November 1 to 3 and an evening season from November 9 to 30. From London, before dawn on November 1 and 2, then in the evening from November 12 to the end of the month, between about 4:45 and 7:15 p.m. From Sydney, only before dawn, from November 14 to 28.

What time can I see the ISS tonight?

It depends on your exact location and changes every day. This report gives you the window for the month; for tonight's exact time, use the tracker on the home page with your location.

Why are there weeks when you can't see it?

Because the station is only visible when your sky is dark and it's still lit by the Sun, which only happens around dusk and dawn. Its orbit keeps shifting those passes, and for a few weeks they fall in daylight or in the middle of the night.

Do I need binoculars?

No. To the naked eye it's one of the brightest dots in the sky. Binoculars won't show you its shape, but give them a try; to see the solar panels, you need a telescope with tracking.

How often is this report updated?

Once a month, before the month starts, with the latest orbital data. The exact times for each night are always up to date on the tracker.