Star & Planet FinderISS passes›New Zealand›Christchurch
The International Space Station is one of the brightest things in the night sky, but you can only see it when your sky is dark and the station, about 400 km up, is still in sunlight. These are the passes over Christchurch when that happens.
Next visible pass over Christchurch
Visible for 2m 20s. It looks like a bright star gliding steadily across the sky, without blinking.
The line is the station’s path over the ground: gold where it is in sunlight, dashed where it is in Earth’s shadow. Inside the white circle it is above Christchurch’s horizon. Drag the map to move it, and the slider to follow the station along.
The map of this pass loads with the latest orbit…
Times are local to Christchurch. “Highest” is how far above the horizon the station climbs: 90° is straight overhead, and anything above 40° clears most buildings and trees.
| Date | Appears | Highest | Disappears | Visible for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue, Nov 17 | 4:57 AM NNE | 4:58 AM 11° NE | 4:59 AM ENE | 2m 20s | |
| Thu, Nov 19 | 4:56 AM NNW | 4:59 AM 30° NE | 5:02 AM ESE | 6m 06s | |
| Fri, Nov 20 | 4:10 AM NNE | 4:11 AM 18° NE | 4:14 AM E | 3m 51s |
48 more passes happen in daylight or in Earth’s shadow and cannot be seen. Computed Sunday, November 15, 2026.
With the app
A time and a direction get you outside. In the dark, with the station already moving, the app does the rest.
Go outside two minutes before the start time and face the direction in the “Appears” column. The station shows up exactly on schedule.
A steady white light, brighter than any star, crossing the sky in a few minutes. It does not blink, and it is faster than a plane at altitude.
When the station flies into Earth’s shadow it fades out in a few seconds. The table shows where each pass ends.
More in the guide: How to see the International Space Station.
On Tuesday, November 17, 2026 at 4:57 AM, Christchurch time. The station appears in the north-northeast, climbs to 11° above the horizon at 4:58 AM, and sinks out of sight in the east-northeast at 4:59 AM.
10 times between Sunday, November 15, 2026 and Wednesday, November 25, 2026. It passes over 48 more times in daylight or in Earth’s shadow, when it cannot be seen.
The pass of Tuesday, November 17, 2026 can be seen for 2m 20s, from 4:57 AM to 4:59 AM. It is brightest when it is highest, 11° up in the northeast.