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Satellite Visibility

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General

Why can't I see satellites in the middle of the night?

Satellites don't give off any light of their own. The light that you see is sunlight that is reflected by the satellite. For a satellite to be visible from the Earth, it must be lit by the sun, and must be bright enough to be seen against the sky glow. For this reason, satellite passes are only visible before sunrise, and after sunset. During this time the sky is dark enough for the satellite to stand out against background sky. Later at night, satellites are in the shadow of the Earth, and won’t be visible. Also, light pollution can make the sky brighter, and the satellites harder to see.

What is the Magnitude?

The magnitude (Mag) represents the brightness of the ISS. The lower the number, the brighter it will appear. The scale is logarithmic, so when the magnitude increases by 1, the object will be approximately 1.4 times brighter.

What does the bar graph represent?

The bar graph represents the magnitude of the pass. 1 Bar represents magnitude 1.5. Each increment represents a 0.5 increase in magnitude, up to 10 bars which represents magnitude -3.0 and brighter.

What is the Altitude of a pass?

The Altitude, also known as elevation, is the angle of the ISS above the horizon. Zero degrees being on the horizon, and 90 degrees directly overhead.

What is the Start, Max, and End of a pass?

The Start of a pass occurs when the ISS is lit by the sun, and at least 10 degrees above the horizon. The ISS may be much higher than 10 degrees above the horizon, but will not be visible if it is in the earth's shadow. The Max (maximum altitude) details of a pass is when the ISS is at it’s highest point in the sky. The pass ends when the ISS drops below 10 degrees above the horizon, or enters the earth's shadow.

Do I need an internet connection to use the app?

A connection to the internet is only required to download the passes and charts. Once the location has been refreshed, a connection to the internet isn't needed.

How does the app handle locations in different timezones?

All the pass dates and times are shown using the timezone of the device. The dates and times of passes for a location in a different time zone are converted to the time zone of the device. To see the correct date and time for a location in a different timezone, change the timezone of the device to match the location.

Why does the app show past satellite passes?

This is to allow people who have seen a satellite pass without using the app to find out what satellite it was. This will be made optional in a future update.

What are the different stages in downloading passes?

The first stage is 'Getting Passes'. During this stage the list of passes for each day are downloaded, and only basic information for each pass. The second stage is 'Getting Details'. Additional details for each pass are downloaded including a more accurate azimuth, and the details needed to get the charts.

Superb!!! 5 Star 50x10.png

by Dr fridge for version 1.4

This App is simply superb.

A HUGE APOLOGY to the developers for my previous review saying you could not view beyond mid evening. I have just found an option in the settings to view up to a week!!

I highly recommend this App to all as it is top notch, useful and accurate. Definitely a 5 star App *****

Great tracker! 5 Star 50x10.png

by Jeff L in TX for version 1.3

I've been tracking satellites since the days of pulling off TLEs from a BBS. Downloaded this program yesterday and gave it a whirl last night. It's very accurate and user friendly. Well done!

Outstanding 5 Star 50x10.png

by Zenwalrus for version 1.3

Intuitive and fully capable of expanding your mind and universe.

Great for Beginners & Easy 5 Star 50x10.png

by OPG4711 for version 1.3

I saw the ISS fly overhead at -3.3 magnitude tonight and it was awesome! This app may not have everything but for showing 10 year olds something they expected to be lame, they're now totally stoked on the heavens and want to see more.

Geeky but great!! 5 Star 50x10.png

by Gizzer for version 1.2

I love this application emoticon

I've always liked looking up at the stars on a nice clear night, but this gives an actual reason to spot something too!

Just watched the International Space Station fly over even though it was pretty cloudy - it's so bright!!

Excellent app 5 Star 50x10.png

by Capn Chaos for version 1.2

First class application. Lists all visible sats over 24hr period with very accurate countdown timer and star maps to aid viewing. Just seen STS128 & ISS. Far better than ISS Viewer.