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ISS visible tonight over Frankfurt?
Every time you can see the International Space Station from Frankfurt in the next five days, with where to look and how high it climbs, plus where it is right now.
ISS and the next 90 minutes of its pathWhere it can be seen fromYour townNight side
Over Frankfurt
Working out when it passes over…
Only passes you can actually see are listed: the ISS lit by the Sun, your sky dark, and at least 10° up.
Overhead alerts you before a good pass, shows you where to look through your phone’s camera, and follows Starlink trains and other satellites too.
The ISS from Frankfurt
Frankfurt is south of 51.6° north, the furthest the station’s orbit reaches, so on some passes the ISS flies almost straight overhead.
Around midsummer the sky over Frankfurt never gets fully dark and the station stays in sunlight all night, so you can get several visible passes in a single night.
Spotting the ISS
When can I see the ISS?
In the hour or two after sunset or before sunrise, when your sky is dark but the station, about 420 km up, is still lit by the Sun. That only lines up on some nights, in runs of a few days, which is why some weeks it shows up every evening and some weeks not at all.
What does the ISS look like?
A bright, steady white light, brighter than any star, moving smoothly across the sky in a few minutes. It doesn’t blink and makes no sound. Planes have flashing lights; the ISS doesn’t.
Do I need a telescope?
No. The ISS is easy to see with your eyes alone, even from a bright city. Just look in the direction given and wait for it to rise.
Why does it suddenly disappear?
It flies into Earth’s shadow. The sunlight on it goes out in a few seconds and it fades away mid-sky.
More in the guide: How to see the ISS. Positions are worked out in your browser from the latest orbit published by CelesTrak. Your approximate city comes from Cloudflare and isn’t stored.
Good to know
Quick answers
When can I see the ISS from Frankfurt?
In the hour or two after sunset or before sunrise, on the days the station’s path lines up with dark skies over Frankfurt. The list above shows every visible pass for the next five days, in local time.
Where should I look in Frankfurt?
Each pass gives the direction the ISS appears from and where it disappears. Be outside a couple of minutes early, face that direction and look for a bright, steady light moving smoothly across the sky.
Can I see it from the city centre?
Yes. The ISS is brighter than any star, so street lights don’t hide it. Just find a spot with a clear view of the sky in the right direction, away from tall buildings.
News & updates
Look up. We'll tell you when.
An email when the apps arrive on Google Play, and the occasional night worth going outside for: meteor showers, aurora alerts, eclipses. No more than once a month.
Questions or ideas?
Found a bug, want a feature, or spotted something odd in the sky data? Send a message here, or email us.
hello@nearspace.app