What to Look For
International Space Station
The ISS is the brightest artificial object in the sky, visible to the naked eye as a fast-moving bright dot. It crosses the sky in 3-5 minutes.
Look for a bright, steady light moving smoothly across the sky — no blinking. It's brighter than most stars.
Starlink Satellites
SpaceX's Starlink satellites are often visible as a "train" of lights shortly after deployment. Established satellites are dimmer but still visible.
Starlink trains are best seen within days of a launch. Check our launch schedule for recent Starlink missions.
Planets
Venus, Jupiter, Mars, and Saturn are easily visible to the naked eye. They appear as bright, steady points of light that don't twinkle like stars.
Venus is always near the horizon at dawn or dusk. Jupiter is the second-brightest planet. Mars has a distinctive reddish tint.
Meteor Showers
Major meteor showers occur throughout the year as Earth passes through comet debris trails. Peak nights can produce 60-120 meteors per hour.
For best viewing: find a dark location, let your eyes adapt for 20 minutes, lie back and look at a wide area of sky.
Aurora (Northern Lights)
The aurora borealis is caused by solar particles interacting with Earth's magnetic field. Visible from high latitudes when the Kp index is elevated.
Check the Kp forecast on our Space Weather page. Kp 5+ means aurora may be visible from northern US states.
2026 Meteor Shower Calendar
| Shower | Peak Night | Rate | Parent Body |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quadrantids | Jan 3-4 | 120/hr | 2003 EH1 (asteroid) |
| Lyrids | Apr 22-23 | 20/hr | Comet Thatcher |
| Eta Aquariids | May 5-6 | 50/hr | Comet Halley |
| Perseids | Aug 12-13 | 100/hr | Comet Swift-Tuttle |
| Orionids | Oct 21-22 | 20/hr | Comet Halley |
| Leonids | Nov 17-18 | 15/hr | Comet Tempel-Tuttle |
| Geminids | Dec 13-14 | 150/hr | 3200 Phaethon (asteroid) |
Stargazing Tips
Find Dark Skies
Light pollution is the biggest enemy of stargazing. Use a light pollution map and drive 30+ minutes from city centers.
Let Your Eyes Adapt
It takes 20-30 minutes for your eyes to fully adapt to darkness. Avoid looking at phone screens (use red filter mode).
Use Binoculars First
Before investing in a telescope, binoculars (7x50 or 10x50) reveal craters on the Moon, Jupiter's moons, and star clusters.
Check Weather & Moon Phase
Clear skies are essential. A new moon (or moon below the horizon) provides the darkest skies for deep-sky viewing.
Dress Warm
Even in summer, nights can get cold when you're sitting still for hours. Bring layers and a blanket.
Use SpaceNexus for Timing
Our satellite tracker shows ISS pass times, and the space calendar lists meteor shower peaks and planetary events.