Without a telescope
Not with the naked eyeIt needs binoculars or a telescope: magnitude +7.3 at its best, and the faintest stars the eye can see are about magnitude +6.
Satellites›Weather satellites›SENTINEL-3A
SENTINEL-3A
SENTINEL-3A is a weather satellite from the European Space Agency, launched on February 16, 2016 from Plesetsk, Russia. It is in a low orbit, 803 km above the ground, and goes around the Earth every 100.9 minutes: 14.3 times a day, at 7.45 km/s (26,800 km/h). The orbit is sun-synchronous: it crosses every place at about the same local time of day.
Where SENTINEL-3A is right now
The gold ring is its orbit, and the line drops to the point on the ground under it. Inside the white circle it is above the horizon. 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 its path over the ground for the next lap: gold where it is in sunlight, dashed where it is in Earth’s shadow.
Finding SENTINEL-3A…
SENTINEL-3A
Finding SENTINEL-3A…
- 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
Its orbit crosses close to both poles, so sooner or later it passes over every place on Earth.
A satellite shows only when your sky is dark and it is still in sunlight: in the hours after dusk and before dawn.
When it passes over you
The app works out its passes over your exact location, alerts you before one, and leads you to it with an arrow in the camera view.
The facts
- Catalogue number (NORAD)
- 41335
- International designator
- 2016-011A
- Type
- Satellite
- Belongs to
- European Space Agency
- Launched
- February 16, 2016
- Launched from
- Plesetsk, Russia
- Status
- Operational
- Orbit
- Low Earth orbit, sun-synchronous
- Lowest point
- 802 km
- Highest point
- 804 km
- Tilt to the equator
- 98.6°
- One lap
- 100.9 minutes
- Laps a day
- 14.27
- Speed
- 7.45 km/s
- At its brightest
- mag +7.3 estimated, overhead
- Standard brightness
- mag +7.8 from 1,000 km, half lit
- Size on radar
- 4.0 m²
Orbit measured November 13, 2026, from CelesTrak. Heights are above the ground at the equator. Page updated November 14, 2026.
Quick answers
Where is SENTINEL-3A right now?
The map on this page shows where SENTINEL-3A is at this moment, the path it will follow over the ground for the next lap, and the part of the Earth it is above the horizon for. It is worked out from the latest tracking data.
How high is SENTINEL-3A?
About 803 km above the ground.
How fast does SENTINEL-3A go?
About 7.45 km/s, which is 26,800 km/h. One lap of the Earth takes it 100.9 minutes, so it goes around 14.3 times a day.
Can you see SENTINEL-3A without a telescope?
Not with the naked eye. It needs binoculars or a telescope: magnitude +7.3 at its best, and the faintest stars the eye can see are about magnitude +6.
When was SENTINEL-3A launched?
On February 16, 2016, from Plesetsk, Russia.
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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