How to spot Starlink satellites

After a group of satellites is released, its members can appear close together as a moving line. They spread out as their orbits change, so a group from the same launch is not necessarily a visible train. The National Academies astronomy decadal survey describes the striking train appearance as an early phase after deployment.

A prediction of several objects does not promise a bright, evenly spaced line. Viewing geometry, satellite illumination, brightness, cloud and your surroundings all affect what you actually see.

1. Open the Starlink tracker and choose your observing location. A nearby place or coordinates are more useful than an unrelated city.
2. Enable the sky view and look for an estimated visible pass. Note its date, local time, direction and height above the horizon. If you are exploring a launch group, remember that membership alone does not confirm a visible train.
3. Check the forecast and choose a safe, permitted place with a clear view along the predicted path. Trees, buildings, haze and cloud can hide a pass.
4. Go out a few minutes early. Face the predicted direction and watch the part of the sky indicated by the pass. Keep your phone dim enough for the conditions and stay clear of roads and uneven ground.

The tracker calculates estimated positions from orbital elements. Its pass search samples a limited set of satellites over a limited period; a blank result does not prove that no other pass exists. Orbital data age, manoeuvres and local conditions can affect the result. The tracker page explains its current search limits and visibility assumptions.

Satellites can look like small points moving steadily across the background stars. They are visible by reflected sunlight, even when the observer is in darkness. NASA notes that dawn and dusk are often useful times to look, but visibility is not limited to a fixed number of minutes after sunset (NASA skywatching tips).

A satellite can fade as it enters Earth's shadow, or become visible when it leaves the shadow. Cloud and obstructions can also hide it. Aircraft often have regularly flashing lights, but appearance alone is not proof: compare the time and path with a prediction, and leave an unidentified light unidentified when they do not match.

Direction tells you where along the horizon to begin looking. Elevation is the angle above that horizon: a low pass is more easily blocked by buildings, trees or terrain. A higher maximum elevation may give a clearer view, but it does not guarantee the satellite will be bright enough.

If a prediction includes magnitude, lower numbers indicate brighter objects. Treat any brightness estimate as a guide, not a promise. Light pollution, haze, moonlight and individual eyesight change what can be seen. If the first pass is missed, confirm the location and local time, then try another opportunity with a less obstructed path.

A camera on a stable tripod can record a moving satellite as a streak during a long exposure. Frame the predicted part of the sky, take a test image and adjust exposure for the brightness of your scene. A long streak in a photograph is not enough by itself to identify which satellite produced it: compare the time and direction with a current prediction. NASA's astrophotography guide includes a section on photographing artificial satellites.

If you are photographing stars rather than satellites, inspect individual frames for trails before stacking them. Keep the original frames so you can choose how to handle affected images.

Reviewed 14 November 2026 using NASA's skywatching tips, NASA's astrophotography guide, and the National Academies astronomy decadal survey. Check current predictions and local conditions before heading out. For another target, see our ISS spotting guide.