Without a telescope
Not without a telescopeAt that distance even a satellite the size of a bus is far too faint for the naked eye. In a telescope it is a faint point that stays put while the stars drift past it.
Satellites›Weather satellites›GOES 17
GOES 17
GOES 17 is a weather satellite from the United States, launched on March 1, 2018 from Cape Canaveral, Florida, United States. It is in geostationary orbit, 35,787 km above the equator at longitude 89.5° W. There it goes around once a day, in step with the turning Earth, and so it stays over the same spot.
Where GOES 17 is
The gold ring is its orbit, and the line drops to the point on the equator it stays over. Inside the white circle it is above the horizon, all day and all night. Drag the globe to turn it, pinch or use the buttons to come closer; the target button brings you back to the satellite. The 2D map shows the same on a flat map.
Finding GOES 17…
GOES 17
Finding GOES 17…
- Over
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- Position
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- Height
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- Speed
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- Now
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- Your time
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Can you see it?
From where
It is above the horizon all day and all night for everyone within about 81° of longitude 89.5° W on the equator, and always in the same place in their sky. From the rest of the world it never rises.
When it passes over you
The app shows where it sits in your own sky, and leads your telescope or your eye to the spot.
The facts
- Catalogue number (NORAD)
- 43226
- International designator
- 2018-022A
- Type
- Satellite
- Belongs to
- United States
- Launched
- March 1, 2018
- Launched from
- Cape Canaveral, Florida, United States
- Status
- Backup
- Orbit
- Geostationary
- Over longitude
- 89.5° W
- Lowest point
- 35,782 km
- Highest point
- 35,792 km
- Tilt to the equator
- 1.3°
- One lap
- 23 h 56 min
- Laps a day
- 1.00
- Speed
- 3.07 km/s
Orbit measured November 13, 2026, from CelesTrak. Heights are above the ground at the equator. Page updated November 14, 2026.
Quick answers
Where is GOES 17 right now?
GOES 17 stays over longitude 89.5° W, on the equator. The map on this page shows the spot, and the part of the Earth it can be seen from.
How high is GOES 17?
About 35,787 km above the ground.
How fast does GOES 17 go?
About 3.07 km/s, which is 11,100 km/h. One lap of the Earth takes it 23 h 56 min, the same time the Earth takes to turn once.
Can you see GOES 17 without a telescope?
Not without a telescope. At that distance even a satellite the size of a bus is far too faint for the naked eye. In a telescope it is a faint point that stays put while the stars drift past it.
When was GOES 17 launched?
On March 1, 2018, from Cape Canaveral, Florida, United States.
With the app
Knowing where it is over the Earth is one thing. The app shows you where it is in your sky.
This page follows the satellite around the planet. The app works out when it passes over you, and leads you to it.
- Every pass over your exact location, for this satellite and 10,000+ more.
- An alert before it rises, so you are outside in time.
- An arrow in the camera view that leads you to the exact spot in the sky.
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