Level 1 - Spot a satellite in the night sky

Spotting satellites in the night sky can be a relaxing, rewarding activity. The serenity of contemplating the night sky, the thrill of catching a satellite passing by at 28,000kph.

What does Satellite Tracking Involve?

The time at which you observe the satellite cross an imaginary line between two known stars
Your location on Earth when you made this observation (Latitude, Longitude, and Elevation)

If you’re new to the sport, don’t worry about trying to time a satellite on your first outing. We’ll walk you through a progression of activities to build your skills and help familiarize yourself with the night sky.

Right now, timing a satellite is a relatively manual process and takes some practice. But we're working to continually add features to make this process easier.

Spot a satellite in the night sky

If you look up for long enough, you’ll see a star-like point of light moving continuously across the night sky. That’s a satellite! Spotting your first satellite this way, without worrying about timing it, is a good way to get acquainted with the night sky, and how satellites move through it (if it blinks, it’s probably an airplane).

Satellites are most visible in certain windows of the morning and evening, when the sun is low enough for a dark sky, but still high enough to cast light reflected by the satellite. The best time to spot a satellite is 30 - 90 minutes after sunset or before sunrise. Expect to see more stars than you can quickly count when scanning the sky in that time frame.
If it’s a clear night and you’re in an area without too much light pollution, you’ll be able to see a number of satellites with your bare eyes. A pair of binoculars will greatly increase the conditions in which you can spot satellites.
Train your eyes (or binoculars) on a fixed point in the night sky and wait. Relax, breathe deeply, and contemplate just how large our universe is. Pro tip: if you want to look straight up, laying on your back will save your neck.