ISS passes›Japan›Kyoto

When to see the space station over Kyoto

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 Kyoto when that happens.

Next visible pass over Kyoto

Sunday, November 15, 2026
17:18

  1. Climbs into view in the north-northeast
  2. Highest: 14° above the horizon in the north-northeast
  3. Sinks out of view in the north-northeast

Visible for 0m 34s. It looks like a bright star gliding steadily across the sky, without blinking.

NESW60°30°
The whole sky, as if you were lying on your back: straight up is the centre, the horizon is the rim.

This pass on the map

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 Kyoto’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…

Next visible passes

Times are local to Kyoto. “Highest” is how far above the horizon the station climbs: 90° is straight overhead, and anything above 40° clears most buildings and trees.

DateAppearsHighestDisappearsVisible for
Sun, Nov 1517:18 NNE17:18 14° NNE17:19 NNE0m 34s
Mon, Nov 1618:04 NW18:05 11° NNW18:06 N2m 05s
Tue, Nov 1717:17 NNW17:17 16° NNW17:19 N2m 05s

38 more passes happen in daylight or in Earth’s shadow and cannot be seen. Computed Saturday, November 14, 2026.

The app’s camera view, locked on the International Space Station

With the app

Easier with the app: just follow the arrow.

A time and a direction get you outside. In the dark, with the station already moving, the app does the rest.

  • An alert before the station rises, so you are outside in time.
  • An arrow in the camera view that leads you to the exact spot in the sky.
  • A rehearsal of the pass in AR, from where you are standing.
  • Tiangong, Hubble, Starlink trains and 10,000+ more satellites.
Download on the App Store

How to spot it

Be early, face the right way

Go outside two minutes before the start time and face the direction in the “Appears” column. The station shows up exactly on schedule.

Know what you are looking for

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.

It may vanish in mid-sky

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.

Quick answers

When is the next visible ISS pass over Kyoto?

On Sunday, November 15, 2026 at 17:18, Kyoto time. The station appears in the north-northeast, climbs to 14° above the horizon at 17:18, and sinks out of sight in the north-northeast at 17:19.

How many times can the ISS be seen from Kyoto in the next 10 days?

3 times between Saturday, November 14, 2026 and Tuesday, November 24, 2026. It passes over 38 more times in daylight or in Earth’s shadow, when it cannot be seen.

How long is the ISS visible over Kyoto?

The pass of Sunday, November 15, 2026 can be seen for 0m 34s, from 17:18 to 17:19. It is brightest when it is highest, 14° up in the north-northeast.

Also over Kyoto

ISS passes over nearby cities

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